Long-term chorioretinal changes after photodynamic therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy

PURPOSE: To evaluate morphological and functional chorioretinal changes 5 years after standard photodynamic therapy (PDT) for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). METHODS: A retrospective, nonrandomized study, including patients with chronic CSC treated with standard PDT and followed for at least 60 months. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination, and the location and number of treatments were registered. Five or more years after treatment, subfoveal and non-subfoveal treated areas were evaluated with Spectralis optical coherence tomography and microperimetry. RESULTS: Seventeen eyes of 15 patients were included, with mean age of 48.3 ± 8.4 years and a mean follow-up of 80.6 ± 12.4 months (range from 62 to 104 months). All eyes had neurosensory detachment (NSD) at baseline. Treatment was performed under the fovea in 58.8 % and in a non-foveal area in 41.2 % of the eyes. At the final visit all eyes had resolution of the NSD, with a statistical significant reduction in central macular thickness (p = 0.005) and preserved neuroretinal thickness (p = 0.839). There was a statistical difference between initial and final BCVA (p < 0.001) and a mean gain of 8.4 ± 7.8 letters. Subfoveal morphological changes in external limiting membrane (ELM) and in photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS) were correlated with final BCVA (p = 0.015 and p = 0.014 respectively), but not with the variation of BCVA. There was a statistical correlation between morphological changes in IS/OS line and retinal sensitivity in the central 12° and 2° (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002 respectively). The morphological changes in the subfoveal layers were not dependent on treatment location (p = 0.154, p = 0.644, and p = 1.0 for ELM, IS/OS line, and retinal pigment epithelium respectively). Subfoveal final mean choroidal thickness was 295.1 ± 68.7 μm, and showed no statistical difference from the normal population (p = 0.633). CONCLUSIONS: Morphological and functional chorioretinal changes, observed 5 or more years after standard PDT for chronic CSC, were not correlated with the location of treatment, neither with the progression of visual acuity or with the location of treatment, and are more likely to be related to the disease itself than with the treatment provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antioxidant films from mango kernel components.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-12-09T18:09:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ART19019.pdf: 1822769 bytes, checksum: a9f42a27080db848f53e7e64e9c98e9f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019bitstream/item/197961/1/ART19019.pdf; bitstream/item/197995/1/ART19019.pd

Compostos presentes em extrato metanólico de tecido foliar de erva-mate, por meio da cromatografia gasosa acoplada à espectrometria de massas.

A erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hill.) é uma espécie nativa da Floresta Ombrófila Mista, de grande importância socioeconômica, cultural e ambiental para a região Sul do Brasil, Paraguai e Argentina (Fowler; Sturion, 2000), de ocorrência natural no Brasil, Argentina, Paraguai e em algumas regiões do Uruguai (Oliveira; Rotta, 1985). A erva-mate é ingerida após o preparo de infusões das suas folhas verdes secas ou tostadas a quente ou a frio (Bracesco et al., 2011) e o seu consumo se deve principalmente ao sabor e aos diversos efeitos benéficos à saúde, devido à presença de compostos bioativos como as xantinas (e.g., cafeína) e compostos fenólicos (e.g., ácido clorogênico). Recentemente, a erva-mate vem ganhando destaque como produto de exportação brasileira para diversos países com potencial para o seu uso na indústria farmacêutica e alimentícia (Márquez et al., 2013; Cardozo Junior; Morand, 2016; Matei et al., 2016). Os plantios de erva-mate provenientes de sementes apresentam grande heterogeneidade, sendo a utilização da propagação vegetativa para a produção comercial de mudas um fator importante para a formação de plantios de alta produtividade e uniformidade, com possibilidade de melhoria da qualidade dos produtos obtidos em relação aos componentes bioativos, e possibilidade de produção de mudas durante todo o ano, por meio de plantas matrizes mantidas em viveiro, em sistemas de canaletão.bitstream/item/216949/1/CT-458-1854-final-2.pd

Arroz de terras altas: opção de desenvolvimento para agricultura familiar do Estado de Goiás.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar e selecionar linhagens e cultivares de arroz de terras altas adaptadas ao sistema de produção dos pequenos agricultores no Estado de Goiás

T-Cell Memory Responses Elicited by Yellow Fever Vaccine are Targeted to Overlapping Epitopes Containing Multiple HLA-I and -II Binding Motifs

The yellow fever vaccines (YF-17D-204 and 17DD) are considered to be among the safest vaccines and the presence of neutralizing antibodies is correlated with protection, although other immune effector mechanisms are known to be involved. T-cell responses are known to play an important role modulating antibody production and the killing of infected cells. However, little is known about the repertoire of T-cell responses elicited by the YF-17DD vaccine in humans. In this report, a library of 653 partially overlapping 15-mer peptides covering the envelope (Env) and nonstructural (NS) proteins 1 to 5 of the vaccine was utilized to perform a comprehensive analysis of the virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. The T-cell responses were screened ex-vivo by IFN-γ ELISPOT assays using blood samples from 220 YF-17DD vaccinees collected two months to four years after immunization. Each peptide was tested in 75 to 208 separate individuals of the cohort. The screening identified sixteen immunodominant antigens that elicited activation of circulating memory T-cells in 10% to 33% of the individuals. Biochemical in-vitro binding assays and immunogenetic and immunogenicity studies indicated that each of the sixteen immunogenic 15-mer peptides contained two or more partially overlapping epitopes that could bind with high affinity to molecules of different HLAs. The prevalence of the immunogenicity of a peptide in the cohort was correlated with the diversity of HLA-II alleles that they could bind. These findings suggest that overlapping of HLA binding motifs within a peptide enhances its T-cell immunogenicity and the prevalence of the response in the population. In summary, the results suggests that in addition to factors of the innate immunity, "promiscuous" T-cell antigens might contribute to the high efficacy of the yellow fever vaccines. © 2013 de Melo et al

Beneficial Effects of Long-Term Administration of an Oral Formulation of Angiotensin-(1–7) in Infarcted Rats

In this study was evaluated the chronic cardiac effects of a formulation developed by including angiotensin(Ang)-(1–7) in hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), in infarcted rats. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by left coronary artery occlusion. HPβCD/Ang-(1–7) was administered for 60 days (76 μg/Kg/once a day/gavage) starting immediately before infarction. Echocardiography was utilized to evaluate usual cardiac parameters, and radial strain method was used to analyze the velocity and displacement of myocardial fibers at initial time and 15, 30, and 50 days after surgery. Real-time PCR was utilized to evaluate the fibrotic signaling involved in the remodeling process. Once-a-day oral HPβCD/Ang-(1–7) administration improved the cardiac function and reduced the deleterious effects induced by MI on TGF-β and collagen type I expression, as well as on the velocity and displacement of myocardial fibers. These findings confirm cardioprotective effects of Ang-(1–7) and indicate HPβCD/Ang-(1–7) as a feasible formulation for long-term oral administration of this heptapeptide

Atributos físicos e químicos de solos sob diferentes tipos de uso e manejo no assentamento Abril Vermelho, Amazônia Oriental.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar as alterações nos atributos físicos e químicos do solo do assentamento Abril Vermelho, em função dos diferentes tipos de uso da terra e cobertura vegetal. Foram selecionadas cinco áreas, quatro sob diferentes tipos de uso e manejo (sistema agroflorestal, plantio de açaí, pastagem e plantio de mandioca), e uma área de referência (floresta secundária). Em cada área foram coletadas amostras de solo nas profundidades de 0-5, 5-10 e 10-20 cm, com quatro repetições, totalizando 60 amostras deformadas e 60 indeformadas para análise de densidade do solo (Ds). Os valores de pH (H2O), Al3+ (alumínio trocável), H+Al (acidez potencial) e M.O (matéria orgânica) sofreram alterações tanto entre os sistemas de uso do solo, quanto em razão da profundidade do perfil. No sistema em que houve trituração e disposição da biomassa no solo (plantio de mandioca), houve melhoria da qualidade do solo, com o aumento de 41% do teor de M.O em comparação ao sistema de referência, e também na manutenção da Ds próximo aos valores da capoeira. A Ds e M.O destacam-se por detectar as alterações na qualidade do solo em função da mudança de cobertura vegetal na maioria dos sistemas de uso dos solos estudados

Primates in peril: the significance of Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for global primate conservation

Primates occur in 90 countries, but four—Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—harbor 65% of the world’s primate species (439) and 60% of these primates are Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017-3). Considering their importance for global primate conservation, we examine the anthropogenic pressures each country is facing that place their primate populations at risk. Habitat loss and fragmentation are main threats to primates in Brazil, Madagascar and Indonesia. However, in DRC hunting for the commercial bushmeat trade is the primary threat. Encroachment on primate habitats driven by local and global market demands for food and non-food commodities hunting, illegal trade, the proliferation of invasive species, and human and domestic-animal borne infectious diseases cause habitat loss, population declines, and extirpation. Modeling agricultural expansion in the 21st century for the four countries under a worst-case-scenario, showed a primate range contraction of 78% for Brazil, 72% for Indonesia 62% for Madagascar and 32% for DRC. These pressures unfold in the context of expanding human populations with low levels of development. Weak governance across these four countries may limit effective primate conservation planning. We examine landscape and local approaches to effective primate conservation policies and assess the distribution of protected areas and primates in each country. P rimates in Brazil and Madagascar have 38% of their range inside protected areas, 17% in Indonesia and 14% in DRC, suggesting that the great majority of primate populations remain vulnerable. We list the key challenges faced by the four countries to avert primate extinctions now and in the future. In the short term, effective law enforcement to stop illegal hunting and illegal forest destruction is absolutely key. Long-term success can only be achieved by focusing local and global public awareness, actively engaging with international organizations, multinational businesses and consumer nations to reduce unsustainable demands on the environment. Finally, the four primate range states need to ensure that integrated, sustainable land-use planning for economic development includes the maintenance of biodiversity and intact, functional natural ecosystems