Prospective study of a group of pre-university students evaluating anxiety and depression relationships with temporomandibular disorders

Objectives: The aim of this prospective longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationships between anxiety, depression, and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a sample of pre-university students submitted to a stressful event. Study design: 153 students from a pre-university course (82 females and 71 males between 16 and 31 years old) were given a survey about TMD symptoms and a survey about anxiety and depression scale at the beginning and the end of the preparatory course (August 2009-T1, and November 2009-T2). Results: Results were analyzed using a chi-square test and Odds Ratio (OR), significance level of á = 0.05. Statistical significance were found to depression rates in students with TMD (16% on T1 and 26% on T2, p = 0.001) as well as in general sample (12% on T1 and 22% on T2, p = 0.009), anxiety and TMD symptoms presented constant rates in both periods. Increased risk of having TMD were found in participants with anxiety (OR 2.6 in T2 and 5.6 in T1) and depression (2.0 in T2 and 3.3 in T1), but only anxiety reach statistical significance in both periods. Conclusions: TMD symptoms were a fluctuating variable that exchange between some individuals of this study. Independently of the TMD, depression rates significant increased in the evaluated period. Finally, anxiety was the psychological symptom related to the increased risk of having TMD

The cost of a disease targeted for elimination in Brazil : the case of schistosomiasis mansoni

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis mansoni is a poverty-related parasitic infection that has a variety of clinical manifestations. We consider the disability and deaths caused by schistosomiasis unacceptable for a tool-ready disease. Its condition in Brazil warrants an analysis that will enable better understanding of the local health losses and contribute to the complex decision-making process. OBJECTIVE This study estimates the cost of schistosomiasis in Brazil in 2015. METHODS We conducted a cost of illness study of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil in 2015 based on a prevalence approach and from a societal perspective. The study included 26,499 schistosomiasis carriers, 397 hepatosplenic cases, 48 cases with the neurological form, 284 hospitalisations, and 11,368.26 years of life lost (YLL) of which 5,187 years are attributable to economically active age groups. RESULTS The total cost of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil was estimated to be US$ 41,7million in 2015 with 94.61% of this being indirect costs. CONCLUSIONS The economic burden of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil is high and results in the loss of productivity. Its persistence in Brazil is a challenge to public health and requires inter-sectorial interventions in areas such as indoor water supply, basic sanitation, and education

Management of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a Brazilian tertiary referral center guidance

The world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and health workers, including inflammatory bowel diseases specialists, have been challenged to address the specific clinical issues of their patients. We hereby summarize the current literature in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic era that support the rearrangement of our IBD unit and the clinical advice provided to our patient

Frequency of focally enhanced gastritis in inflammatory bowel disease patients and the relationship with Helicobacter pylori infection

Introdução: O envolvimento gastroduodenal pode ocorrer na doença de Crohn (DC). Seu diagnóstico histológico definitivo é habitualmente realizado através da demonstração do granuloma não caseoso. O achado de gastrite focal H. pylori negativa em biopsias gástricas de pacientes com DC ileal e/ou colônica, apesar de não ser específico, também sugere o envolvimento da doença neste segmento. Objetivos: avaliar a frequência da gastrite focal em pacientes com DC comparada à de pacientes com retocolite ulcerativa (RCU) e controles, assim como as frequências da infecção pelo H. pylori nessas populações e correlacioná-las com a presença de gastrite focal; avaliar a capacidade da imunohistoquímica em diferenciar a gastrite focal nos três grupos; avaliar as associações entre dados demográficos, aspectos clínicos, laboratoriais, uso de medicamentos, presença de sintomas do trato gastrintestinal (TGI) superior e achados endoscópicos com presença de gastrite focal em pacientes com doença inflamatória intestinal (DII); e avaliar a associação entre uso de medicamentos nesses pacientes e infecção pelo H. pylori. Métodos: Foram estudados 62 pacientes com DC, 35 pacientes com RCU e 40 pacientes controles. Todos foram submetidos à endoscopia digestiva alta (EDA) com biopsias para o teste da urease, exame histológico e imunohistoquímico. Resultados: Dos 137 pacientes estudados foram excluídos dois pacientes com DC e um com RCU. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos com relação à idade (p=0,921) e sexo (p=0,192). A maioria dos pacientes com DC estava em remissão clínica (75%). Cerca de 80% dos pacientes com DC faziam uso de azatioprina. H. pylori foi positivo em 18/60 (30%) pacientes com DC, 12/34 (35%) na RCU e 20/40 (50%) no grupo controle sem diferença estatisticamente significante entre os grupos (p=0,131). Não foram observadas associações estatisticamente significantes entre uso de medicamentos e infecção pelo H. pylori nos pacientes com DII. A gastrite focal H. pylori negativa foi diagnosticada em 7/42 (16,7%) na DC, 3/22 (13,6%) na RCU e 2/20 (10%) no grupo controle, sem diferença estatisticamente significante entre eles (p=0,919). A gastrite focal H. pylori positiva foi diagnosticada em 2/18 (11%) na DC, 3/12 (25%) na RCU e 7/20 (35%) no grupo controle, sem diferença estatisticamente significante (p=0,213). Não foram observadas associações estatisticamente significantes entre características clínicas, laboratoriais, uso de medicamentos, sintomas do TGI superior, achados endoscópicos e gastrite focal. No entanto, foi observado que o uso de azatioprina nos pacientes com DC H. pylori negativos apresentou uma tendência a reduzir a gastrite focal. A imunohistoquímica da gastrite focal dos pacientes com DC e RCU H. pylori negativos foi semelhante e diferiu do grupo controle por este apresentar um maior acúmulo de linfócitos B (CD20). Já a imunohistoquímica da gastrite focal dos pacientes com DC, RCU e controles H. pylori positivos foi indistinguível. Conclusões: Pacientes com DII tendem a ser menos infectados pela bactéria H. pylori. A frequência de gastrite focal H. pylori negativa diagnosticada em nosso estudo foi menor do que a descrita na literatura. O uso de imunossupressor (azatioprina) pode estar relacionado com tal achadoIntroduction: Gastroduodenal involvement may occur in Crohns disease (CD). Definitive histological diagnosis of CD in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract normally relies on the demonstration of epitheloid granuloma which is considered the histological hallmark of gastric CD. If granulomas are absent, the description of focally enhanced gastritis (FEG) or focal active gastritis in gastric biopsies of patients with known ileal and/or colonic CD, although not exclusive to CD, suggests the involvement of the disease at this site. Objectives: To access the prevalence of FEG in CD patients compared with a group of ulcerative colitis (UC) and CD/UC-free controls, as well as the frequencies of H. pylori infection in those population and correlate them to the presence of FEG; evaluate the capacity of immunohistochemistry in differentiating FEG in the three groups; evaluate the correlation with demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, current medical therapy as well as the presence of forgut symptoms and mucosal lesions at endoscopy with the presence or absence of FEG in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and evaluate the association between medical therapy and H. pylori infection in IBD patients. Methods: We studied 62 patients with CD, 35 patients with UC and 40 patients from control group. All underwent upper GI endoscopy. Biopsy specimens taken from angulus, antrum and gastric body were evaluated by urease test, histology and immunohistochemistry. Results: Of the 137 patients studied we excluded 2 patients with CD and 1 with UC. There was no statistically significant difference among the groups in terms of age (p=0.921) and gender (p=0.192). The majority of CD patients were in clinical remission (75%). Around 80% of CD patients were taking azathioprine. H. pylori was positive in 18/60 (30%) CD patients, in 12/34 (35%) UC and in 20/40 (50%) controls with no statistically significance difference among the groups (p=0.131). No association was found between use of medications and H. pylori infection in IBD patients. In H. pylori negative patients, FEG was diagnosed in 16.7% cases (7/42) of CD, compared with 13.6% (3/22) of UC patients and 10% (2/20) of controls, with no statistically significance difference among them (p=0.919). In H.pylori positive patients, FEG was diagnosed in 11% cases (2/18) of DC, 25% (3/12) in UC and 35% (7/20) of controls with no significant difference among them (p=0.213). There was no statistical interrelationship between FEG and demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, use of medications, upper GI symptoms and endoscopic findings. However, it was observed that use of azathioprine in H. pylori negative CD patients presented a tendency to reduce FEG. In H. pylori negative patients, immunohistochemistry of FEG of CD and UC was similar and differed from controls as it presented a higher accumulation of B lymphocytes (CD20). On the other hand in H. pylori positive IBD patients, immunohistochemistry of FEG was indistinguishable from controls. Conclusions: IBD patients tend to be less infected by H. pylori. The frequency of H. pylori negative FEG diagnosed in our study was lower than described in literature. The use of immunossupressants (azathioprine) may be related to such finding

Management of inflammatory bowel disease patients in the COVID-19 pandemic era: a Brazilian tertiary referral center guidance

The world is fighting the COVID-19 outbreak and health workers, including inflammatory bowel diseases specialists, have been challenged to address the specific clinical issues of their patients. We hereby summarize the current literature in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients during the COVID-19 pandemic era that support the rearrangement of our IBD unit and the clinical advice provided to our patients

The cost of a disease targeted for elimination in Brazil: the case of schistosomiasis mansoni

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis mansoni is a poverty-related parasitic infection that has a variety of clinical manifestations. We consider the disability and deaths caused by schistosomiasis unacceptable for a tool-ready disease. Its condition in Brazil warrants an analysis that will enable better understanding of the local health losses and contribute to the complex decision-making process. OBJECTIVE This study estimates the cost of schistosomiasis in Brazil in 2015. METHODS We conducted a cost of illness study of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil in 2015 based on a prevalence approach and from a societal perspective. The study included 26,499 schistosomiasis carriers, 397 hepatosplenic cases, 48 cases with the neurological form, 284 hospitalisations, and 11,368.26 years of life lost (YLL) of which 5,187 years are attributable to economically active age groups. RESULTS The total cost of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil was estimated to be US$ 41,7million in 2015 with 94.61% of this being indirect costs. CONCLUSIONS The economic burden of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil is high and results in the loss of productivity. Its persistence in Brazil is a challenge to public health and requires inter-sectorial interventions in areas such as indoor water supply, basic sanitation, and education