Lead sources of human exposure in Brazil

As result of increased environmental contamination, the interest on the accumulation of heavy metals in the human body and its harmful effects has increased. Some metals, such as lead, are non-essential elements and exert toxic effects on biological system. Despite the control measures established by law, acute and chronic intoxication by lead still happen in Brazil. Some sources of lead exposure are well known, such as industrial activities like mining and factories for batteries recycling. However, other sources, although common, are completely unknown by population. This article aims to present a review of past and current literature on the various lead sources of human exposure in Brazil.Como resultado do crescimento da contaminação ambiental, houve um aumento do interesse relacionado ao acúmulo de metais pesados no corpo humano e seus efeitos danosos. Alguns desses metais, tal como o como chumbo, são elementos não essenciais e exercem efeitos tóxicos no sistema biológico. Apesar das medidas de controle estabelecidas por lei, intoxicações agudas e crônicas por chumbo ainda acontecem no Brasil. Algumas fontes de exposição a este metal são bem conhecidas, como por exemplo, atividades industriais como mineração, além de fábricas de reciclagem de baterias. No entanto, outras fontes, apesar de comuns, são completamente desconhecidas da população. Este artigo visa apresentar uma revisão da literatura passada e atual sobre as diversas fontes de exposição humana ao chumbo no Brasil

Co-infecção HIV/tuberculose: necessidade de uma vigilância mais efetiva

O agravamento da endemia tuberculosa tem induzido à reformulação dos programas antituberculose em inúmeros países. Entre as causas deste recrudescimento estão a imigração, a pobreza, a diminuição de recursos para os programas de controle e a associação HIV/Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Inúmeros estudos demonstram que um indivíduo infectado pelo HIV tem risco de adoecimento muito maior que a população geral mas, a despeito desta evidência, a busca sistemática por soropositivos entre os tuberculosos não é realizada. Discute-se a realização de teste anti-HIV rotineiramente por ocasião do diagnóstico de tuberculose, desde que mantido o sigilo da informação, com vistas a incrementar a descoberta de casos e fornecer maior subsídio à vigilância da co-infecção.The increasing endemicity of tuberculosis resulting from causes such as immigration, poverty, a declining public health infrastructure and co-infection by HIV/Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is leading to a change in tuberculosis control programmes. One of the main reasons for the resurgence of tuberculosis is HIV infection - the risk of tuberculosis is greater in HIV patients than in the majority of the population as can be seen from numerous research projects. The need for systematic testing for HIV infection in all tuberculosis patients by undertaking confidential HIV tests on admission to a tuberculosis programme is brought out. This measure would increase the number of cases diagnosed and provide data for better surveillance of the co-infection

Monitoring anti-tuberculosis activities: graphic charts based on standard deviation units and ranking chart based on summary index

A monitorização de 30 indicadores epidemiológico-operacionais do programa antituberculose, executado por Unidades de Saúde, é uma tarefa complexa, quando realizada em função de normas técnicas. Os AA apresentam metodologia em uso no Japão, modificada e adaptada à realidade de São Paulo, onde foi testada em 62 unidades de Saúde que, em 1993, atenderam e notificaram 5.622 doentes acompanhados durante 14 meses. O método pressupõe, para cada indicador, distribuição gaussiana dos valores originais ou transformados matematicamente. O desempenho das Unidades em cada indicador foi comparado com a Média do conjunto, usando-se como medida a Unidade Desvio Padrão. Em 65% dos indicadores, não houve necessidade de reexpressão dos resultados e só um deles resistiu a todas as transformações tentadas. Definiu-se medida-síntese para a elaboração de Tabela de Classificação dividida em quatro setores pelos três quartis da distribuição. O desempenho do conjunto ficou aquém do esperado (a mediana foi negativa). Analisadas algumas Cartas Gráficas, a título de demonstração, foram identificadas atividades prioritárias para supervisão. A metodologia e suas modificações, bem como os resultados, foram discutidos, concluindo-se pela sua aplicabilidade. Conjugada à avaliação tradicional poderá ser de grande valia, inclusive para acompanhar a evolução do conjunto.Tuberculosis activities monitoring can be a difficult task when dealing with a list of 30 indices to be compared with norms. A new methodology of analysis based on the Evaluation Charts used in Japan, modified and adapted, was experimented in 62 Health Centres of the metropolitan area of São Paulo - Brazil. These Centres have notified 5.622 cases throughout 1993, whose data were monitored for 14 months. The methodology assumes a normal distribution of the indices in original value or some mathematical function on them. For each index the deviation from the mean of the whole was expressed by using the standard deviation as a single scale for all the items of the set used for construction of a Grafic Chart for every Health Centre. Reexpression of data was not necessary in about 65% of the indices. A summary index calculated for each one of the Health Centres was used for ranking them from top to bottom of the group (ranking chart). The group’s perfomance was less than predicted with a negative median value. A detailed analysis of 5 Grafic Charts was done having in mind to demonstrate the interpretation of the results. Conclusions: The experimental methodology is a feasible one; it could be a valuable tool regarding the supervision of Health Institutions engaged in the tuberculosis control programme

Oral lichen planus: A retrospective study of 110 Brazilian patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by multiple clinical presentations and a relatively high prevalence in the population. This retrospective patient record study investigated the profile of OLP in a group of Brazilian patients seen between 1989 and 2009.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The clinical records were analyzed and data such as gender, age, race, clinical presentation of OLP, site affected, presence of symptoms and extraoral manifestations of the disease, smoking habit, and consumption of alcoholic beverages were obtained. Among the 1822 records of patients with oral mucosal lesions, OLP was identified in 6.03%. Of these, 76.36% were females, with a mean age of 54 years, and 85% were whites. The reticular form was the most frequent (81.81%). Extraoral lesions were observed in 32.72% of the patients and painful symptoms were reported by 50.90%. The cheek mucosa was the site most affected (92.72%) and multiple oral lesions were observed in 77.27% of the patients. Among patients with OLP, 18.18% reported a smoking habit and 29.09% the consumption of alcoholic beverages.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This retrospective study showed a relatively high prevalence of OLP in the population studied, with a predominance of the disease among middle-aged white women and bilateral involvement of the cheek mucosa. Reticular lesions were the most frequent, followed by the erosive form which is mainly associated with painful symptoms. No relationship with tobacco or alcohol consumption was observed.</p

Influence of the scrotum bipartite on the reproductive parameters in goats

Avaliou-se a influência do grau de bipartição escrotal sobre os parâmetros reprodutivos em caprinos. Foram utilizados 30 animais, distribuídos em três grupos: Grupo I, animais que apresentavam escroto sem bipartição (n =10); Grupo II, animais com bipartição escrotal até 50% do comprimento dos testículos (n=10); e Grupo III, caprinos com bipartição escrotal acima de 50% do comprimento testicular (n=10). Os parâmetros avaliados foram peso corporal, perímetro escrotal, comprimento testicular, características físicas e morfológicas do sêmen, concentração plasmática de testosterona e libido dos animais, comparando caprinos com escroto bipartido e não bipartido. Os animais que apresentavam bipartição escrotal expressaram maior peso corporal e comprimento testicular, quando comparados com os animais do grupo sem escroto bipartido, sendo que estes apresentaram maior número de células espermáticas defeituosas. Conclui-se que a bipartição escrotal influencia positivamente alguns parâmetros biométricos bem como a qualidade do sêmen em caprinos.The influence of scrotum division on the reproductive parameters in goats was evaluated. Thirty animals were divided into three groups of 10 animals each as follows. Group I: animals with simple scrotum (n=10); Group II: animals with 50% of scrotum bipartite (n=10); and Group III: animals with more than 50% of scrotum bipartite (n=10). It was evaluated: body weight, scrotum perimeter and the testicular length, the seminal characteristic, plasmatic concentration of testosterone, and the libido of the animals with different degrees of scrotum division. Animals with divided scrotum had higher weight and testicular length when compared with animals from the first group that had a higher percentage of spermatic defects. It is possible to conclude that there was a positive influence of scrotal bipartition on the biometric parameters and the sperm quality in goats

The Barretos Cancer Hospital Animal Facility: implementation and results of a dedicated platform for preclinical oncology models

The Barretos Cancer Hospital Animal Facility (BCHAF) is a unique facility in Brazil exclusively dedicated to working with animal models for cancer research. In this article, we briefly present our modern facility and the main experiments performed, focusing on mutant strains of mice (PTCH-knockout and ApcMin mice), xenograft models, and patient-derived xenografts (PDXs). Our results show the progress and challenges in establishing these models and the need for having an appropriate representation of our cancer population to better understand tumor biology and to identify cancer biomarkers, which could be putatively targeted, allowing for personalized therapy.This study was funded by the Public Ministry of Labor Campinas (Research, Prevention and Education of Occupational Cancer) and by Pio XII Foundation, Barretos Cancer Hospital internal funds, Grant Number: 13/2021

Antifungal activity of amphotericin B conjugated to nanosized magnetite in the treatment of paracoccidioidomycosis

This study reports on in vitro and in vivo tests that sought to assess the antifungal activity of a newly developed magnetic carrier system comprising amphotericin B loaded onto the surface of pre-coated (with a double-layer of lauric acid) magnetite nanoparticles. The in vitro tests compared two drugs; i.e., this newly developed form and free amphotericin B. We found that this nanocomplex exhibited antifungal activity without cytotoxicity to human urinary cells and with low cytotoxicity to peritoneal macrophages. We also evaluated the efficacy of the nanocomplex in experimental paracoccidioidomycosis. BALB/c mice were intratracheally infected with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and treated with the compound for 30 or 60 days beginning the day after infection. The newly developed amphotericin B coupled with magnetic nanoparticles was effective against experimental paracoccidioidomycosis, and it did not induce clinical, biochemical or histopathological alterations. The nanocomplex also did not induce genotoxic effects in bone marrow cells. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that amphotericin B coupled to magnetic nanoparticles and stabilized with bilayer lauric acid is a promising nanotool for the treatment of the experimental paracoccidioidomycosis because it exhibited antifungal activity that was similar to that of free amphotericin B, did not induce adverse effects in therapeutic doses and allowed for a reduction in the number of applications

Efeitos adversos a medicamentos em hospital público: estudo piloto

The results from implementing a strategy for monitoring adverse effects from drugs in a public hospital in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in 2007, were analyzed. Based on retrospective analysis of 32 medical files, adverse effects were found in 16%. To identify these effects, 38 tracking criteria were needed. Among these, the main ones were the use of antiemetics, abrupt cessation of medication and over-sedation. Despite the difficulties, especially in relation to access to information and the record quality, application of these tracking criteria seems to be viable. To improve the implementation of the method, it is suggested that the data collection should be computerized and risk adjustment indicators should be sought.Fueron analizados los resultados de la implantación de estrategia de monitoreo de efectos adversos a los medicamentos en hospital público en Rio de Janeiro, Sureste de Brasil, en 2007. Con base en análisis retrospectivo de 32 prontuarios fueron encontrados efectos adversos en 16%. Para identificarlos, fueron necesarios 38 criterios rastreadores, de los cuales los principales fueron: uso de antieméticos, interrupción abrupta de medicamentos y sedación excesiva. A pesar de las dificultades, sobre todo relacionadas con el acceso a las informaciones y a la calidad de los registros, la aplicación de los criterios rastreadores parece ser viable. Para perfeccionar la implantación del método, se sugiere informatizar la colecta de datos y buscar indicadores de ajuste del riesgo.Foram analisados os resultados da implantação de estratégia de monitoramento de efeitos adversos aos medicamentos em hospital público no Rio de Janeiro, RJ, em 2007. Com base em análise retrospectiva de 32 prontuários foram encontrados efeitos adversos em 16%. Para identificá-los, foram precisos 38 critérios rastreadores, dos quais os principais foram: uso de antieméticos, interrupção abrupta de medicamentos e sedação excessiva. Apesar das dificuldades, sobretudo relacionadas ao acesso às informações e à qualidade dos registros, a aplicação dos critérios rastreadores parece ser viável. Para aprimorar a implantação do método, sugere-se informatizar a coleta de informações e buscar indicadores de ajuste de risco