Doença meningocócica: comparação entre formas clínicas Meningococcal disease: comparison between clinical forms

Visando avaliar formas clínicas da doença meningocócica, foram revistos 201 casos diagnosticados como doença meningocócica, em Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal Fluminense; durante o período de 1971 a 1996, dos quais 185 preencheram os critérios de inclusão. A caracterização clínico-laboratorial permitiu reagrupá-los nas formas de doença meningocócica com meningite, 18%, meningite e septicemia, 62%, e septicemia, 20%. Dados epidemiológicos disponíveis não diferenciaram formas clínicas. Na meningite meningocócica foi significativamente maior: tempo de história clínica; freqüência de manifestações neurológicas; e positividade da bacterioscopia, cultura e teste do látex no líquor. Na septicemia menigocócica, houve predomínio significativamente de: choque; letalidade e níveis maiores de tempo parcial de tromboplastina. Septicemia meningogócica e septicemia com meningite se diferenciaram da meningite meningocócica quanto a: tempo de história clínica; ocorrência de sinais neurológicos focais; coagulação intravascular disseminada e artrite. Dados clínico-laboratoriais levam a admitir meningite como forma localizada de doença meningocócica, e septicemia com meningite e septicemia como variações de gravidade da forma sistêmica da doença.<br>In order to asses the clinical forms of meningococcal disease, we reviewed 201 cases diagnosed as meningococcal disease in the University Hospital of the Fluminense Federal University in Rio de Janeiro, 185 of which met the inclusion criteria. Clinical and laboratorial characterization allowed for grouping of the cases as follows: meningococcal meningitis, 18%; meningitis with septicemia, 62%; and septicemia, 20%. Available epidemiological data did not differentiate clinical forms. The following were significantly greater in meningococcal meningitis: duration of clinical history; frequency of neurological manifestations; positive bacterioscopy; culture and latex test in cerebrospinal fluid. The following were significantly predominant in septicemia: shock; fatal outcome and higher partial thromboplastin time. Septicemia and meningitis with septicemia were differentiated from meningococcal meningitis in the following: duration of clinical history; occurrence of focal neurological signs; disseminated intravascular coagulation; and arthritis. Clinical and laboratory data lead us to admit meningococcal meningitis as a localized form of Meningococcal disease, and meningitis with septicemia and septicemia as variations in severity of the systemic form of the disease

Normal platelet count at admission in acute meningococcal disease does not exclude a fulminant course

Contains fulltext : 19689.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Closed access

The western painted turtle genome, a model for the evolution of extreme physiological adaptations in a slowly evolving lineage

Background: We describe the genome of the western painted turtle, Chrysemys picta bellii, one of the most widespread, abundant, and well-studied turtles. We place the genome into a comparative evolutionary context, and focus on genomic features associated with tooth loss, immune function, longevity, sex differentiation and determination, and the species' physiological capacities to withstand extreme anoxia and tissue freezing.Results: Our phylogenetic analyses confirm that turtles are the sister group to living archosaurs, and demonstrate an extraordinarily slow rate of sequence evolution in the painted turtle. The ability of the painted turtle to withstand complete anoxia and partial freezing appears to be associated with common vertebrate gene networks, and we identify candidate genes for future functional analyses. Tooth loss shares a common pattern of pseudogenization and degradation of tooth-specific genes with birds, although the rate of accumulation of mutations is much slower in the painted turtle. Genes associated with sex differentiation generally reflect phylogeny rather than convergence in sex determination functionality. Among gene families that demonstrate exceptional expansions or show signatures of strong natural selection, immune function and musculoskeletal patterning genes are consistently over-represented.Conclusions: Our comparative genomic analyses indicate that common vertebrate regulatory networks, some of which have analogs in human diseases, are often involved in the western painted turtle's extraordinary physiological capacities. As these regulatory pathways are analyzed at the functional level, the painted turtle may offer important insights into the management of a number of human health disorders. © 2013 Shaffer et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd