Frequencies of allele groups HLA‐A,HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 in a population from the northwestern region of São Paulo State,Brazil

The aim of this study was to estimate the HLA‐A, HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 allele groups frequencies in a population of 1559 volunteer bone marrow donors from the northwestern region of São Paulo State grouped according to ethnicity. An additional objective was to compare the allele frequencies of the current study with data published for other Brazilian populations. The allele groups were characterized by the PCR‐rSSO method using Luminex^® technology. Twenty HLA‐A, 32 HLA‐B and 13 HLA‐DRB1 allele groups were identified. The most common allele groups in European descent and mixed African and European descent samples were HLA‐A*02, HLA‐B*35 and HLA‐DRB1*13, while HLA‐A*02, HLA‐B*35 and HLA‐DRB1*11 were more common in African descent samples. The HLA‐A*23, HLA‐A*36, HLA‐B*58 and HLA‐B*81 allele groups were more common in sample from African descent than European descent, and the HLA‐DRB1*08 was more common in mixed African and European descent than in European descent. Allele group frequencies were compared with samples from other Brazilian regions. The HLA‐A*30 and HLA‐A*23 were more common in this study than in the populations of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná; and the HLA‐A*01, HLA‐B*18, HLA‐B*57 and HLA‐DRB1*11 were more common in this study than in the population of Piauí. The least frequent allele groups were HLA‐A*31, HLA‐B*15, HLA‐B*40 and HLA‐DRB1*08 for the population of Piauí, HLA‐A*01 and HLA‐A*11 for Parana, HLA‐A*02 and ‐A*03 for Rio Grande do Sul and HLA‐DRB1*04 for Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Piauí. These data provide an overview on the knowledge on HLA diversity in the population of the northwestern region of São Paulo State and show that the genes of this system are useful to distinguish different ethnic groups.     

Blood flow velocity in monocular retinoblastoma assessed by color doppler

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the flow of retrobulbar vessels in retinoblastoma by color Doppler imaging.

METHODS:

A prospective study of monocular retinoblastoma treated by enucleation between 2010 and 2014. The examination comprised fundoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography and color Doppler imaging. The peak blood velocities in the central retinal artery and central retinal vein of tumor-containing eyes (tuCRAv and tuCRVv, respectively) were assessed. The velocities were compared with those for normal eyes (nlCRAv and nlCRVv) and correlated with clinical and pathological findings. Tumor dimensions in the pathological sections were compared with those in magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography and were correlated with tuCRAv and tuCRVv. In tumor-containing eyes, the resistivity index in the central retinal artery and the pulse index in the central retinal vein were studied in relation to all variables.

RESULTS:

Eighteen patients were included. Comparisons between tuCRAv and nlCRAv and between tuCRVv and nlCRVv revealed higher velocities in tumor-containing eyes (p<0.001 for both), with a greater effect in the central retinal artery than in the central retinal vein (p=0.024). Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography measurements were as reliable as pathology assessments (p=0.675 and p=0.375, respectively). A positive relationship was found between tuCRAv and the tumor volume (p=0.027). The pulse index in the central retinal vein was lower in male patients (p=0.017) and in eyes with optic nerve invasion (p=0.0088).

CONCLUSIONS:

TuCRAv and tuCRVv are higher in tumor-containing eyes than in normal eyes. Magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography measurements are reliable. The tumor volume is correlated with a higher tuCRAv and a reduced pulse in the central retinal vein is correlated with male sex and optic nerve invasion.     

Hemodynamic responses during and after multiple sets of stretching exercises performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver

OBJECTIVE:

This study investigated the acute hemodynamic responses to multiple sets of passive stretching exercises performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver.

METHODS:

Fifteen healthy men aged 21 to 29 years with poor flexibility performed stretching protocols comprising 10 sets of maximal passive unilateral hip flexion, sustained for 30 seconds with equal intervals between sets. Protocols without and with the Valsalva maneuver were applied in a random counterbalanced order, separated by 48-hour intervals. Hemodynamic responses were measured by photoplethysmography pre-exercise, during the stretching sets, and post-exercise.

RESULTS:

The effects of stretching sets on systolic and diastolic blood pressure were cumulative until the fourth set in protocols performed with and without the Valsalva maneuver. The heart rate and rate pressure product increased in both protocols, but no additive effect was observed due to the number of sets. Hemodynamic responses were always higher when stretching was performed with the Valsalva maneuver, causing an additional elevation in the rate pressure product.

CONCLUSIONS:

Multiple sets of unilateral hip flexion stretching significantly increased blood pressure, heart rate, and rate pressure product values. A cumulative effect of the number of sets occurred only for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, at least in the initial sets of the stretching protocols. The performance of the Valsalva maneuver intensified all hemodynamic responses, which resulted in significant increases in cardiac work during stretching exercises.     

Effect of hypertonic saline treatment on the inflammatory response after hydrochloric acid-induced lung injury in pigs

OBJECTIVES:

Hypertonic saline has been proposed to modulate the inflammatory cascade in certain experimental conditions, including pulmonary inflammation caused by inhaled gastric contents. The present study aimed to assess the potential anti-inflammatory effects of administering a single intravenous dose of 7.5% hypertonic saline in an experimental model of acute lung injury induced by hydrochloric acid.

METHODS:

Thirty-two pigs were anesthetized and randomly allocated into the following four groups: Sham, which received anesthesia and were observed; HS, which received intravenous 7.5% hypertonic saline solution (4 ml/kg); acute lung injury, which were subjected to acute lung injury with intratracheal hydrochloric acid; and acute lung injury + hypertonic saline, which were subjected to acute lung injury with hydrochloric acid and treated with hypertonic saline. Hemodynamic and ventilatory parameters were recorded over four hours. Subsequently, bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected at the end of the observation period to measure cytokine levels using an oxidative burst analysis, and lung tissue was collected for a histological analysis.

RESULTS:

Hydrochloric acid instillation caused marked changes in respiratory mechanics as well as blood gas and lung parenchyma parameters. Despite the absence of a significant difference between the acute lung injury and acute lung injury + hypertonic saline groups, the acute lung injury animals presented higher neutrophil and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage analysis. The histopathological analysis revealed pulmonary edema, congestion and alveolar collapse in both groups; however, the differences between groups were not significant. Despite the lower cytokine and neutrophil levels observed in the acute lung injury + hypertonic saline group, significant differences were not observed among the treated and non-treated groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Hypertonic saline infusion after intratracheal hydrochloric acid instillation does not have an effect on inflammatory biomarkers or respiratory gas exchange.     

Trypsin inhibitor from tamarindus indica L. seeds reduces weight gain and food consumption and increases plasmatic cholecystokinin levels

OBJECTIVES:

Seeds are excellent sources of proteinase inhibitors, some of which may have satietogenic and slimming actions. We evaluated the effect of a trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L. seeds on weight gain, food consumption and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats.

METHODS:

A trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus was isolated using ammonium sulfate (30–60%) following precipitation with acetone and was further isolated with Trypsin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. Analyses were conducted to assess the in vivo digestibility, food intake, body weight evolution and cholecystokinin levels in Wistar rats. Histological analyses of organs and biochemical analyses of sera were performed.

RESULTS:

The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduced food consumption, thereby reducing weight gain. The in vivo true digestibility was not significantly different between the control and Tamarindus trypsin inhibitor-treated groups. The trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus did not cause alterations in biochemical parameters or liver, stomach, intestine or pancreas histology. Rats treated with the trypsin inhibitor showed significantly elevated cholecystokinin levels compared with animals receiving casein or water.

CONCLUSION:

The results indicate that the isolated trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus reduces weight gain by reducing food consumption, an effect that may be mediated by increased cholecystokinin. Thus, the potential use of this trypsin inhibitor in obesity prevention and/or treatment should be evaluated.     

Can contrast-enhanced ultrasound with second-generation contrast agents replace computed tomography angiography for distinguishing between occlusion and pseudo-occlusion of the internal carotid artery?

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with a second-generation contrast agent in distinguishing between occlusion and pseudo-occlusion of the cervical internal carotid artery, comparing it with that of conventional Doppler ultrasound and the gold standard, computed tomography angiography.

METHOD:

Between June 2006 and June 2012, we screened 72 symptomatic vascular surgery outpatients at a public hospital. Among those patients, 78 cervical internal carotid arteries were previously classified as occluded by Doppler ultrasound (without contrast). The patients were examined again with Doppler ultrasound, as well as with contrast-enhanced ultrasound and computed tomography angiography. The diagnosis was based on the presence or absence of flow.

RESULTS:

Among the 78 cervical internal carotid arteries identified as occluded by Doppler ultrasound, occlusion was confirmed by computed tomography angiography in only 57 (73.1%), compared with 59 (77.5%) for which occlusion was confirmed by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (p>0.5 vs. computed tomography angiography). Comparing contrast-enhanced ultrasound with Doppler ultrasound, we found that the proportion of cervical internal carotid arteries classified as occluded was 24.4% higher when the latter was used (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that, in making the differential diagnosis between occlusion and pseudo-occlusion of the cervical internal carotid artery, contrast-enhanced ultrasound with a second-generation contrast agent is significantly more effective than conventional Doppler ultrasound and is equally as effective as the gold standard (computed tomography angiography). Our findings suggest that contrast-enhanced ultrasound could replace computed tomography angiography in this regard.