Aids e gravidez: os sentidos do risco e o desafio do cuidado

OBJECTIVE: To understand how the risk of vertical HIV transmission is perceived and interpreted by people living with HIV/AIDS, when making decisions regarding reproductive health. METHODS: This was a qualitative study carried out at three municipal health clinics specializing in STD/AIDS, in the city of São Paulo. Semi-structured thematic interviews were conducted with eight patients (male and female), from July to December 2001. The interviewees were key informants and either they or their partners were seropositive. All of them were aged 18 or over and had been living with their partners for at least one year. RESULTS: Among the motivations for having children, those related to the partner's expectations were highlighted, especially as a form of "recompense" for their actions. The risk of vertical transmission was used by health professionals both for discouraging pregnancy and for giving guidance on transmission prophylaxis. However, reproductive issues were not voiced at the health clinics, either by the patients or by the healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be directed not only towards controlling the infection, but also most importantly towards the wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS. There is a need to clarify the different points of view of users and professionals in order to achieve the most effective and appropriate solution for each specific caregiving situation.OBJETIVO: Compreender como o risco da transmissão vertical do HIV é apreendido e reconstruído pelas pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids em suas decisões reprodutivas. MÉTODOS: Estudo qualitativo, envolvendo oito mulheres e homens, em três serviços de saúde especializados em DST/Aids, do Município de São Paulo. Foram realizadas entrevistas com roteiros temáticos e semi-estruturados, no período de julho a dezembro de 2001. Os depoentes selecionados foram os informantes-chave, soropositivos ou seus parceiros, com 18 anos ou mais e em união conjugal há pelo menos um ano. RESULTADOS: Dentre as motivações para ter filhos, destacaram-se aquelas relacionadas às expectativas dos parceiros conjugais, especialmente como modo de "retribuir" suas ações. O risco da transmissão vertical é utilizado pelos profissionais de saúde tanto para desestimular quanto para orientar sobre a profilaxia da transmissão. Entretanto, as questões reprodutivas não são explicitadas no espaço dos serviços de saúde, tanto pelos usuários quanto pelos profissionais. CONCLUSÕES: A atenção deve ser orientada não apenas ao controle da infecção, mas efetivamente no bem-estar das pessoas vivendo com HIV. Há necessidade de explicitação dos diferentes pontos de vista de usuários e profissionais, para que se possa chegar à solução mais efetiva e adequada para cada situação de cuidado

BALB/c Mice Infected with Antimony Treatment Refractory Isolate of Leishmania braziliensis Present Severe Lesions due to IL-4 Production

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that affects more than 12 million people worldwide. In Brazil, the cutaneous disease is more prevalent with about 28,000 new cases reported each year, and L. braziliensis is the main causative agent. The interesting data about the infection with this parasite is the wide variety of clinical manifestations that ranges from single ulcerated lesions to mucocutaneous and disseminated disease. However, experimental models to study the infection with this parasite are difficult to develop due to high resistance of most mouse strains to the infection, and the mechanisms underlying the distinct manifestations remain poorly understood. Here, the authors use a mouse experimental model of infection with different L. braziliensis isolates, known to induce diseases with distinct severity in the human hosts, to elucidate immune mechanisms that may be involved in the different manifestations. They showed that distinct parasite isolates may modulate host response, and increased IL-4 production and Arg I expression was related to more severe disease, resulting in longer length of disease with larger lesions and reduced parasite clearance. These findings may be useful in the identification of immunological targets to control L. braziliensis infection and potential clinical markers of disease progression

PERFIL SENSORIAL E TESTE DE CONSUMIDOR DE BISCOITO RECHEADO SABOR CHOCOLATE

O objetivo deste trabalho foi construir o perfil sensorial de três marcas comerciais de biscoito recheado sabor chocolate, líderes no mercado consumidor. Empregou-se a análise descritiva quantitativa (ADQ) para avaliar os atributos sensoriais dos produtos e aplicou-se teste de consumidor para verificar quais atributos determinam sua aceitação e preferência junto ao mercado. Concluiu-se que as amostras que competem no mercado são muito distintas em suas características sensoriais. O biscoito que apresentou melhor aceitação pelos consumidores evidenciou que atributos como aroma e sabor de cacau, crocância, baixa arenosidade do recheio, boa dissolução e pouca resistência à mordida são características bastante importantes para a determinação da preferência no mercado. SENSORIAL PROFILE AND STUFFED COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE FLAVOR CONSUMER TEST Abstract The objective of this work was to construct sensory profiles of three commercial brands of stuffed cookies with chocolate flavor, leaders in the consumer market. Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) was employed to evaluate the sensorial attributes of products and consumer test to verify which attributes determines its acceptation and preference in the market. It was concluded that the samples, which compete in the market, are sensorially very different. The cookie that presented better acceptance by consumers evidenced that the attributes as aroma and cacao flavor, crunchiness, low sandiness of stuffing, good dissolution and low bite resistance, are very important characteristics for the market preference