Detection of spirochaetal DNA simultaneously in skin biopsies, peripheral blood and urine from patients with erythema migrans

Lyme borreliosis is an emerging zoonosis transmitted by infected hard-bodied ticks. The disease is multisystemic. In the initial stage its typical manifestation is the erythema migrans, a cutaneous lesion that occurs in up to 90% of patients. In order to investigate the presence of the specific agent, Borrelia burgdorferi, in the early stages of the disease, DNA from skin biopsies, urine and peripheral blood of 30 patients with clinically documented erythema migrans and without apparent systemic involvement was analysed by polymerase chain reaction. Borrelia DNA in both blood and skin biopsies was detected in 23 patients, while in 9 patients it was discovered in urine and skin biopsies. These results demonstrate that Borrelia DNA is detectable systemically also in patients with early Lyme borreliosis and strongly suggest a possible dissemination of the causative agents even when only a local infection is assumed.     

Brain alterations in the classical form of congenital muscular dystrophy

In the classical form of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD), subclinical brain involvement is frequent. In order to establish the natural evolution of CNS alterations in this type of CMD, the cerebral functions of 12 cases were examined longitudinally for a mean period of 8 years. There were 7 boys and 5 girls, with a mean age of 5 years at first evaluation and 13 at the last one. Merosin expression in muscle fiber basement membrane, evaluated in 10 of them, was normal in 6 and deficient in 4. CNS conditions were followed up by repeated neuropsychiatric examinations, intelligence tests, EEG and brain CT scan and/or MRI. Eight of the 12 patients (including the 4 with merosin-deficiency) had normal intelligence, while 4 had mild to moderate mental retardation: in all the intellectual ability was unchanged during the follow-up study. CT scan detected minor brain alterations in 9 patients: 6 of these, the 4 with merosin deficiency and 2 others in whom merosin was not evaluated, presented leukoencephalopathy: on neuroimaging reappraisal it was unchanged in 3, improved in 2 and worse in 1 (a merosin-deficient case). Cerebellar alterations or mild ventricular dilatation were detected in 8 cases, including 3 merosin-non-deficient ones: these abnormalities were unchanged at the last study by CT and MRI, as were the normal neuroimaging findings observed in 3 other cases. Overall, during our study the brain alterations found in classical CMD showed a stationary or an improving course; progressive worsening was observed only in 1 of 4 merosin-deficient cases with leukoencephalopathy.Preliminary data on some of the patients have been presented at the International Symposium on Congenital Muscular Dystrophies, Tokyo, Japan, 7–8 July 1994     

Dietary patterns related to glycemic index and load and risk of premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer in the Western New York Exposure and Breast Cancer Study

BACKGROUND: Reduced rank regression (RRR) has been used to identify dietary patterns that predict variation in a selected risk factor and may be useful in describing dietary exposures associated with glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL). OBJECTIVE: To estimate breast cancer risk, we compared the relative utility of RRR-derived dietary patterns predictive of GI and GL with those of simple GI and GL. DESIGN: RRR was used to identify dietary patterns predicting GI and GL from food-frequency data obtained in the Western New York Exposure and Breast Cancer Study (1166 cases, 2105 controls). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs were estimated with unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for energy and nondietary breast cancer risk factors. RESULTS: Sweets, refined grains, and salty snacks explained 34% of the variance in GI and 68% of the variance in GL. In general, breast cancer risks were not associated with GI, GL, or dietary pattern score. However, we observed a significant reduction in postmenopausal breast cancer risk with GI and GL pattern scores combined (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.93), especially in women with a body mass index (in kg/m(2)) >or=25 (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.93). Conversely, in premenopausal women, increased risks were associated with high GL pattern scores only for women with a body mass index >or=25 (OR: 2.21; 95% CI: 1.04, 4.69). CONCLUSIONS: Although RRR may be useful in studies of diet and disease, our results suggest that RRR dietary patterns based on GI and GL provide similar information regarding the association between breast cancer, GI, and GL.     

Hepatitis C in health care professionals: prevalence and association with risk factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection among health care professionals. METHODS: The study was carried out at a university hospital in the municipality of S?o José do Rio Preto, Southeastern Brazil, between January 1994 and December 1999. There were included 1,433 health care professionals, 872 administrative workers, and 2,583 blood donor candidates. Data were collected during admission examinations, periodic screenings, and after occupational accidents. Occupational and non-occupational information was obtained by means of a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Prevalence of hepatitis C infection among health care professionals (1.7%) was significantly higher than among administrative workers (0.5%; p=0.007) and blood donor candidates (0.2%; p=0.001). Regarding occupational factors, time in the job was significantly longer (p=0.016) among health care professionals with positive serology than among those with negative serology. Multiple regression analysis showed a 50% increase in risk for every five years of age. There was a significant association between blood transfusion and positive serology among health care workers. CONCLUSIONS: Health care professionals show greater prevalence of hepatitis C than administrative workers and blood donation candidates. Among those with positive serology, occupational and non-occupational factors of greatest risk were age, time in the job, and blood transfusion.     

Cinnamaldehyde induces changes in the protein profile of Salmonella Typhimurium biofilm

The effect of cinnamaldehyde against biofilm cells of Salmonella Typhimurium ATCC 14028 was evaluated. We also assessed differential protein patterns that were expressed by biofilms compared with planktonic cells and protein expression by cinnamaldehyde-treated biofilms cells. This compound decreased biofilm biomass and metabolic activity of biofilms at both concentrations tested. Cinnamaldehyde treatment reduced the number of attached cells in polypropylene, reflected by colony count and scanning electron microscopy. The proteomic analysis of biofilms compared with planktonic cells indicated that several proteins were upregulated or downregulated, especially proteins that are involved in energy metabolism. Peroxiredoxin, ATP synthase alpha chain protein, conjugal transfer nickase/helicase TraI and elongation factor G were upregulated in untreated-biofilm cells, and their expression decreased as a function of cinnamaldehyde treatment. Cinnamaldehyde had antibiofilm activity, and several differentially expressed proteins identified provide potential and interesting targets to explore new control strategies for S. Typhimurium biofilms.     

Development of corn and flaxseed snacks with high-fibre content using response surface methodology (RSM)

With the increasing emphasis on health and well-being, nutrition aspects need to be incorporated as a dimension of product development. Thus, the production of a high-fibre content snack food from a mixture of corn and flaxseed flours was optimized by response surface methodology. The independent variables considered in this study were: feed moisture, process temperature and flaxseed flour addition, as they were found to significantly impact the resultant product. These variables were studied according to a rotatable composite design matrix (?-?1.68, -?1, 0, 1, 1.68). Response variable was the expansion ratio since it has been highly correlated with acceptability. The optimum corn-flaxseed snack obtained presented a sevenfold increase in dietary fibre, almost 100% increase in protein content compared to the pure corn snack, and yielded an acceptability score of 6.93. This acceptability score was similar to those observed for corn snack brands in the market, indicating the potential commercial use of this new product, which can help to increase the daily consumption of dietary fibre.