Impact of EGFR genetic variants on glioma risk and patient outcome

B.M. Costa and M. Viana-Pereira contributed equally to this work; The authors thank the Immunochemotherapy Department of Hospital S. Marcos, and Clinica Laboratorial Dr. Edgar Botelho Moniz, S. Tirso, Portugal, for their helpful assistance in the management of controlsBACKGROUND: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) regulates important cellular processes and is frequently implicated in human tumors. Three EGFR polymorphisms have been described as having a transcriptional regulatory function: two single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the essential promoter region, -216G/T and -191C/A, and a polymorphic (CA)(n) microsatellite sequence in intron 1. We aimed to elucidate the roles of these EGFR polymorphisms in glioma susceptibility and prognosis. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study with 196 patients with glioma and 168 cancer-free controls. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression models were used to calculate ORs and 95% confidence intervals. A Cox regression model was used to evaluate associations with patient survival. False-positive report probabilities were also assessed. RESULTS: None of the EGFR -216G/T variants was significantly associated with glioma risk. The -191C/A genotype was associated with higher risk for glioma when the (CA)(n) alleles were classified as short for ≤16 or ≤17 repeats. Independently of the (CA)(n) repeat cutoff point used, shorter (CA)(n) repeat variants were significantly associated with increased risk for glioma, particularly glioblastoma and oligodendroglioma. In all tested models with different (CA)(n) cutoff points, only -191C/A genotype was consistently associated with improved survival of patients with glioblastoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings implicate EGFR -191C/A and the (CA)(n) repeat polymorphisms as risk factors for gliomas, and suggest -191C/A as a prognostic marker in glioblastoma. Impact: Our data support a role of these EGFR polymorphisms in determining glioma susceptibility, with potential relevance for molecularly based stratification of patients with glioblastoma for individualized therapies.Schering-Plough Farma, PortugalFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BPD/33612/2009; SFRH/BD/29145/200

Knowledge, attitude and practice of condom use by women of an impoverished urban area

OBJECTIVE Assessing the adequacy of knowledge, attitude and practice of women regarding male and female condoms as STI/HIV preventive measures. METHOD An evaluative Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) household survey with a quantitative approach, involving 300 women. Data collection took place between June and August 2013, in an informal urban settlement within the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraiba, Northeast Brazil. RESULTS Regarding the male condom, most women showed inadequate knowledge and practice, and an adequate attitude. Regarding the female condom, knowledge, attitude and practice variables were unsatisfactory. Significant associations between knowledge/religious orientation and attitude/education regarding the male condom were observed. CONCLUSION A multidisciplinary team should be committed to the development of educational practices as care promotion tools in order to improve adherence of condom use

A violência como objeto da assistência em um hospital de trauma: "o olhar" da enfermagem Violence as object of care in a trauma intensive care unit: the nurses' "view"

A pesquisa apóia-se na tipologia dos estudos híbridos. O objetivo é conhecer e compreender o "olhar" e o fazer das trabalhadoras de enfermagem no cuidado ao paciente vítima de violência, hospitalizado em serviços de emergência em trauma. Foi realizada em um hospital público de emergência em trauma, em Porto Alegre. Os sujeitos são os profissionais da equipe de enfermagem das unidades de internação e os pacientes internados vítimas de violência, em 2001. Os dados quantitativos são originários dos registros de internação do hospital e foram analisados com índices freqüenciais absolutos e relativos, com auxílio do software Epi-Info; para os dados discursivos adotou-se a Análise de Conteúdo. Dos 697 pacientes hospitalizados, vítimas de violência, 90,5% eram do sexo masculino; 73% brancos e 27% negros ou descendentes dessa etnia; a faixa etária dos 11 aos 39 anos corresponde a 78,9% das internações; 47,9% agredidos por arma de fogo, 26,5% por arma branca, 25% por agressão física, 0,3% vítimas de estupro. Em relação ao "olhar" da enfermagem no cuidado ao paciente ficou evidente a preocupação das trabalhadoras e as dificuldades desse enfrentamento. Aponta-se, que os serviços públicos de saúde necessitam se auto-avaliar e propiciar a criação de espaços de co-responsabilização nesse processo.<br>This study is based on hybrid typology. The objective is to know and understand the "perspective" and responses of the nurses when caring for a patient that was the victim of violence and hospitalized with services in a trauma intensive care unit. The study was carried out in Porto Alegre, in a public hospital in the emergency trauma center. The subjects are professionals of the nursing team from intensive care units and the patients hospitalized were victims of violence in 2001. The quantitative data came from the hospitalization records and were analyzed with absolute and relative frequency rates with help from Epi-Info software. The Thematic Content Analysis was adopted for discursive data. Of 697 patients hospitalized in this period, victims of violence, 90.5% were males; 73% were whites and 27% were blacks or of black descent; the age bracket of 11 to 39 years old corresponded to 78.9% of the hospitalizations; 47.9% were injured with a handgun, 26.5% by a knife or cutting edge, 25% by physical aggression, and 0.3% were victims of rape. In relation to the nursing "perspective" as to patient care, the concern of the workers and the difficulties they face became evident. It is pointed out that public health services need to analyze this and create spaces of co-responsibility in this process

o papel dos animais em narrativas expositivas

UID/HIS/04209/2013Os animais são entidades polissêmicas que se tornaram objetos de museus tão cedo as coleções surgiram. Neste trabalho, o animal é entendido como interface entre duas áreas: enquanto objeto de estudo da zoologia e também como musealia. Discutem-se, então, as funções comunicativas exercidas por animais em exposições contemporâneas de museus de história natural. Para tanto, foram descritas e analisadas exposições de três museus sul-americanos de história natural: “Las aves” - Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernadino Rivadavia; “Tiempo y materia: laberintos de la evolución” - Museo de La Plata; e “Conchas, corais e borboletas” - Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro. Nossa análise sugere que a construção teórica das narrativas está restrita aos textos e que os animais emprestam suas estruturas para ilustração, servindo como evidências da realidade e fornecendo materialidade da teoria, restritos ao seu apelo estético, tridimensionalidade e capacidade de atração de público.publishersversionpublishe

Implementation of a Brazilian Cardioprotective Nutritional (BALANCE) Program for improvement on quality of diet and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events: A randomized, multicenter trial

Background: Appropriate dietary recommendations represent a key part of secondary prevention in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the effectiveness of the implementation of a nutritional program on quality of diet, cardiovascular events, and death in patients with established CVD. Methods: In this open-label, multicenter trial conducted in 35 sites in Brazil, we randomly assigned (1:1) patients aged 45 years or older to receive either the BALANCE Program (experimental group) or conventional nutrition advice (control group). The BALANCE Program included a unique nutritional education strategy to implement recommendations from guidelines, adapted to the use of affordable and regional foods. Adherence to diet was evaluated by the modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, stroke, myocardial revascularization, amputation, or hospitalization for unstable angina. Secondary end points included biochemical and anthropometric data, and blood pressure levels. Results: From March 5, 2013, to Abril 7, 2015, a total of 2534 eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the BALANCE Program group (n = 1,266) or the control group (n = 1,268) and were followed up for a median of 3.5 years. In total, 235 (9.3%) participants had been lost to follow-up. After 3 years of follow-up, mean modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (scale 0-70) was only slightly higher in the BALANCE group versus the control group (26.2 ± 8.4 vs 24.7 ± 8.6, P <.01), mainly due to a 0.5-serving/d greater intake of fruits and of vegetables in the BALANCE group. Primary end point events occurred in 236 participants (18.8%) in the BALANCE group and in 207 participants (16.4%) in the control group (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI 0.95-1.38; P =.15). Secondary end points did not differ between groups after follow-up. Conclusions: The BALANCE Program only slightly improved adherence to a healthy diet in patients with established CVD and had no significant effect on the incidence of cardiovascular events or death. © 2019 The Author