Effect of probiotics on giardiasis. Where are we?

Giardiasis, an intestinal infection caused by Giardia lamblia, was recently included in the ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’ by the World Health Organization. Symptomatic patients can develop mild diarrhea up to a severe malabsorption syndrome, and children may show significantly impaired cognitive and physical development. Currently, nitroimidazoles are the main class of antibiotic used to treat giardiasis. Despite the efficacy of these drugs, adverse effects and reported resistance have increased, encouraging studies to identify and develop therapeutic alternatives. In this context, probiotics may represent an attractive option. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in suitable amounts, confer a health benefit to the host. The use of probiotics in the treatment of parasitosis has been suggested because of its beneficial effects, such as a reduced time of gastrointestinal symptoms and parasite load in animal models and humans. Probiotics have been studied as an alternative treatment for giardiasis. In this review, we evaluated probiotic effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of this disease. Based on the studies examined herein, we conclude that probiotics have a beneficial effect on the modulation of giardiasis

Effect of probiotics on giardiasis. Where are we?

Giardiasis, an intestinal infection caused by Giardia lamblia, was recently included in the ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’ by the World Health Organization. Symptomatic patients can develop mild diarrhea up to a severe malabsorption syndrome, and children may show significantly impaired cognitive and physical development. Currently, nitroimidazoles are the main class of antibiotic used to treat giardiasis. Despite the efficacy of these drugs, adverse effects and reported resistance have increased, encouraging studies to identify and develop therapeutic alternatives. In this context, probiotics may represent an attractive option. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in suitable amounts, confer a health benefit to the host. The use of probiotics in the treatment of parasitosis has been suggested because of its beneficial effects, such as a reduced time of gastrointestinal symptoms and parasite load in animal models and humans. Probiotics have been studied as an alternative treatment for giardiasis. In this review, we evaluated probiotic effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of this disease. Based on the studies examined herein, we conclude that probiotics have a beneficial effect on the modulation of giardiasis

Predictive ability of anthropometric and body composition indicators in the identification of insulin resistance

OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of anthropometric and body composition indicators in identifying insulin resistance (IR), determining cut-off points for those showing the best efficacy. METHOD: 138 men were evaluated. Waist perimeter (WP), sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), conicity index, body mass index (BMI), body fat percent, sagittal index, and the waist-to-height, waist-to-hip and waist-to-thigh ratios were determined. IR was assessed by the HOMA-IR index. Statistical analysis consisted of Spearman correlation coefficient and ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves, calculating the area under the curve (AUC). RESULTS: SAD (r=0.482, AUC=0.746) and WP (r=0.464, AUC=0.739) showed stronger correlations with the HOMA-IR and greater ability to identify IR (p<0.001), being 89.3 cm and 20.0 cm the best cut-offs, respectively. CONCLUSION: The anthropometric indicators of central obesity, WP and SAD, have shown greater ability to identify IR in men. We encourage studies in women and elderly people in search of the best cut-off points for the entire population.OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a habilidade de indicadores antropométricos e de composição corporal em identificar a resistência à insulina (RI), determinando-se os pontos de corte para os que apresentarem melhor eficácia. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 138 homens. Determinou-se: perímetro da cintura (PC), diâmetro abdominal sagital (DAS), índice de conicidade (IC), índice de massa corporal (IMC), percentual de gordura corporal (%GC), índice sagital (IS) e relações cintura-estatura (RCE), cintura-quadril (RCQ) e cintura-coxa (RCCoxa). A RI foi avaliada pelo HOMA-IR. Utilizou-se análise de correlação e análise ROC, com determinação das áreas abaixo da curva (AUC). RESULTADOS: O DAS (r = 0,482; AUC = 0,746) e o PC (r = 0,464; AUC = 0,739) apresentaram correlações mais fortes com o HOMA-IR e maior poder discriminante para RI (p < 0,001), sendo seus melhores pontos de corte 89,3 cm e 20,0 cm, respectivamente. CONCLUSÃO: Os indicadores de obesidade central, o PC e o DAS demonstraram maior habilidade em identificar RI em homens. Encoraja-se a realização de estudos com mulheres e idosos na busca dos melhores pontos de corte para toda a população.7279Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

The complete genome sequence of Chromobacterium violaceum reveals remarkable and exploitable bacterial adaptability

Chromobacterium violaceum is one of millions of species of free-living microorganisms that populate the soil and water in the extant areas of tropical biodiversity around the world. Its complete genome sequence reveals (i) extensive alternative pathways for energy generation, (ii) ≈500 ORFs for transport-related proteins, (iii) complex and extensive systems for stress adaptation and motility, and (iv) wide-spread utilization of quorum sensing for control of inducible systems, all of which underpin the versatility and adaptability of the organism. The genome also contains extensive but incomplete arrays of ORFs coding for proteins associated with mammalian pathogenicity, possibly involved in the occasional but often fatal cases of human C. violaceum infection. There is, in addition, a series of previously unknown but important enzymes and secondary metabolites including paraquat-inducible proteins, drug and heavy-metal-resistance proteins, multiple chitinases, and proteins for the detoxification of xenobiotics that may have biotechnological applications

Effect of probiotics on giardiasis. Where are we?

ABSTRACT Giardiasis, an intestinal infection caused by Giardia lamblia, was recently included in the ‘Neglected Diseases Initiative’ by the World Health Organization. Symptomatic patients can develop mild diarrhea up to a severe malabsorption syndrome, and children may show significantly impaired cognitive and physical development. Currently, nitroimidazoles are the main class of antibiotic used to treat giardiasis. Despite the efficacy of these drugs, adverse effects and reported resistance have increased, encouraging studies to identify and develop therapeutic alternatives. In this context, probiotics may represent an attractive option. Probiotics are defined as live microorganisms that, when administered in suitable amounts, confer a health benefit to the host. The use of probiotics in the treatment of parasitosis has been suggested because of its beneficial effects, such as a reduced time of gastrointestinal symptoms and parasite load in animal models and humans. Probiotics have been studied as an alternative treatment for giardiasis. In this review, we evaluated probiotic effectiveness in the treatment and prevention of this disease. Based on the studies examined herein, we conclude that probiotics have a beneficial effect on the modulation of giardiasis

Habilidade de indicadores antropométricos e de composição corporal em identificar a resistência à insulina

Avaliar a habilidade de indicadores antropométricos e de composição corporal em identificar a resistência à insulina (RI), determinando-se os pontos de corte para os que apresentarem melhor eficácia. Foram avaliados 138 homens. Determinou-se: perímetro da cintura (PC), diâmetro abdominal sagital (DAS), índice de conicidade (IC), índice de massa corporal (IMC), percentual de gordura corporal (%GC), índice sagital (IS) e relações cintura-estatura (RCE), cintura-quadril (RCQ) e cintura-coxa (RCCoxa). A RI foi avaliada pelo HOMA-IR. Utilizou-se análise de correlação e análise ROC, com determinação das áreas abaixo da curva (AUC). O DAS (r = 0,482; AUC = 0,746) e o PC (r = 0,464; AUC = 0,739) apresentaram correlações mais fortes com o HOMA-IR e maior poder discriminante para RI (p < 0,001), sendo seus melhores pontos de corte 89,3 cm e 20,0 cm, respectivamente. Os indicadores de obesidade central, o PC e o DAS demonstraram maior habilidade em identificar RI em homens. Encoraja-se a realização de estudos com mulheres e idosos na busca dos melhores pontos de corte para toda a população

Diferentes aferições do diâmetro abdominal sagital e do perímetro da cintura na predição do HOMA-IR

FUNDAMENTO: A correlação entre aumento de gordura visceral e de resistência à insulina coloca o diâmetro abdominal sagital e o perímetro da cintura como instrumentos potenciais para a predição de resistência à insulina. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a reprodutibilidade de diferentes aferições do diâmetro abdominal sagital e do perímetro da cintura e analisar o poder discriminante dos mesmos para predizer resistência à insulina. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 190 homens adultos. O diâmetro abdominal sagital (menor cintura, maior diâmetro abdominal, nível umbilical e ponto médio entre as cristas ilíacas) e o perímetro da cintura (nível umbilical, menor cintura, imediatamente acima da crista ilíaca e ponto médio entre a crista ilíaca e a última costela) foram aferidos em quatro locais diferentes. A resistência à insulina foi avaliada pelo índice HOMA-IR. RESULTADOS: Todas as medidas apresentaram correlação intraclasse de 0,986-0,999. Tanto o diâmetro abdominal sagital aferido na menor cintura (r=0,482 e AUC=0,739&plusmn;0,049) como o perímetro da cintura aferido no ponto médio entre a última costela e a crista ilíaca (r=0,464 e AUC=0,746&plusmn;0,05) apresentaram maiores correlações com o HOMA-IR, bem como um melhor poder discriminante para o HOMA-IR segundo a análise ROC (p<0,001). CONCLUSÃO: O diâmetro abdominal sagital e o perímetro da cintura mostraram-se altamente reprodutíveis. O diâmetro abdominal sagital (menor cintura) e o perímetro da cintura (ponto médio crista ilíaca e última costela) apresentaram melhor desempenho em predizer o HOMA-IR. Investigações em outros grupos da população brasileira devem ser realizadas para viabilizar a utilização desses indicadores de resistência à insulina na população como um todo de forma padronizada