Induced abortion: a comparison between married and single women residing in the city of São Paulo in 2008

The scope of this study was to evaluate the association between having had an induced abortion and marital status (being single or legally married) in women residing in the city of S?o Paulo. This analysis is derived from a broader population survey on abortion conducted in 2008. In this study we focus on the subset of 389 single and legally married women between 15 and 49 years of age. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between induced abortion and being single or married, monitoring age, education, income, number of live births, contraceptive use and acceptance of the practice of abortion. Being single was the only characteristic associated with having had an induced abortion, in other words, when faced with a pregnancy single women were four times more likely to have an abortion than married women (OR=3.9; p=0.009).     

Trends in traffic accidents in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil: the increasing involvement of motorcyclists

In order to describe trends in traffic accidents, mortality, vehicle types, fleet sizes, and victims' characteristics in Campinas, S?o Paulo State, Brazil, from 1995 to 2008, this study analyzed vehicle rates, traffic accident rates per inhabitant and per vehicle, case-fatality rates, proportional mortality, mortality rates, and rates ratios. The motorcycle fleet increased 241%. Although the case-fatality rate of motorcycle users from 2000 to 2008 decreased, in 2008 they accounted for 49.3% of fatal accidents on public byways in Campinas. Motorcycles were responsible for the highest run-over rate (66.7 pedestrians/1,000 accidents) and highest pedestrian fatality rate (4 deaths/1,000 accidents). Men showed much higher mortality rates than women. Pedestrian victims were mainly elderly; most vehicle occupants in traffic accidents were in the 15 to 29-year age bracket. From 2006 to 2008, nearly 80% of vehicle users 15 to 39 years of age were motorcyclists. Motorcycle accident prevention should be a priority, using multi-institutional measures.     

Unrelated allogeneic bone marrow donation: short- and long-term follow-up of 103 consecutive volunteer donors

Between 1992 and 1999, 105 unrelated allogeneic bone marrow collections from 103 volunteer donors (65 males and 38 females; median age 33 years) were carried out in three northern Italian centers (Verona, Bolzano and Padova) affiliated with the Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (IBMDR). The average volume of BM collected was equivalent in both genders (1143.1 ml for males and 1054.2 ml for females; P = 0.1), although the average volume collected for unit of body weight and the average post-collection blood volume depletion was higher in females (respectively 17.1 ml/kg and 14.2% in females, 14.8 ml/kg and 12% in males; P= 0.01 and 0.03). There was no statistically significant difference between males and females in the total number of nucleated cells collected. We did not record any acute life-threatening event during or after the bone marrow collections. The most frequent complaint was pain at the collection site (77%) followed by the onset of fatigue (38%) and nausea and vomiting (25%); all of these were short-term problems. Hospitalization was short (average 20.2 h) and donors started their normal daily activities after an average of 5.4 days. We also monitored Hb, serum ferritin levels, WBC and platelet counts in the post-collection period (average follow-up 40.1 months). All donors signed a written informed consent for a further bone marrow collection, if needed. Our findings confirm the short- and long-term safety of allogeneic bone marrow collection in volunteer donors.     

Endoscopic electromyography and manometry of the human sphincter of Oddi

The myoelectric and manometric activities of the sphincter of Oddi were recorded in 8 patients using an original probe passed through the papilla of Vater during duodenoscopy. The sphincter of Oddi's myoelectric activity showed rhythmic bursts of action potentials which appeared in correspondence with the ascending phase of the phasic pressure waves. On the basis of these results, we believe that electromyography could in some cases replace manometry for studying sphincter of Oddi motility, since it avoids pressure perfusion of the bilio-pancreatic tract, with its concomitant risks, and provides sufficient information for motor studies.     

The genomic analysis of rubella virus detected from outbreak and sporadic cases in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The molecular epidemiology of rubella virus (RV) based on the analysis of the viral E1 gene sequences indicated the existence of two genotypes that differ from each other by 8 to 10% in their nucleotide sequences: genotype I is present in Europe, North America and Asia; and genotype II is present only in Asia. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to identify the RV genotypes circulating in Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, we analysed 86 clinical samples collected between 1996 and 1999 during a rubella outbreak and from sporadic cases of rubella in Rio de Janeiro State. For the molecular characterisation of RV strains we have used PCR/nested amplification and direct sequencing of a 513-nucleotide region of the E1 gene. RESULTS: The E1 gene sequences of 14 RVs were obtained and were assigned to two lineages, both within genotype I. The percentage divergence of nucleotide sequence ranged from 3.4 to 5.1% between these two lineages. These results were in agreement with the pattern of variation observed among the sequences obtained from other lineages of RV. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrated that two new lineages of RV circulated simultaneously between the years 1996 and 1999 in the state of Rio de Janeiro. These results provided new approaches for monitoring the progress of vaccination efforts in Brazil.     

A well-meant present from a friend.

Case A 70-year-old female was admitted to hospital because of a generalweakness and a high creatinine level. On admission she was hypotensive(105/55 mmHg) and complained of chronic back pains. During theweeks preceding the hospitalization she was taking fosinopril10 mg qd, amitryptiline 50 mg qd and paracetamol as required(not >1000 mg per day). She had raised urea (35.1 mmol/l),creatinine (889 µmol/l), potassium     

Isolated cerebral cryptococcosis

Summary A case of cerebral infection with cryptococcus neoformans whose symptoms simulated those of an intracranial space-occupying lesion is described. Differential diagnosis is a problem because of the aspecificity of the clinical and neuroradiological features of this grave fungal infection.     

Analysis and clinical implications of k-ras gene mutations and infection with human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in primary adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

Experimental models indicate that activated ras genes and HPV oncogenic sequences may cooperate in inducing a completely transformed phenotype in epithelial cells. We searched for K-ras gene mutations and HPV type-16 and -18 sequences in 67 primary adenocarcinomas of the uterine cervix by analyzing DNAs from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples. Target sequences were amplified by PCR and analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequencing for the detection of K-ras gene mutations and by Southern blotting for the detection of HPV infection. We found 16 mutations in 15 cases; 14 were at codon 12 and 2 at codon 13; 11 were base transitions and 5 were transversions. Mutations were more frequent in mucin-secreting than in non-mucinous tumors. HPV oncogenic sequences were detected in 58 cases with no significant difference between K-ras-mutated and wild-type tumors. HPV oncogenic sequences were also more frequent in mucin-secreting than in non-mucinous tumors. Both molecular events were present simultaneously in 13 out of 58 cases, all of which had histologically grade-2 and grade-3 tumors. Clinico-pathological parameters of the disease and the overall survival, however, were independent of K-ras mutations and of HPV-16 and -18 infection, as shown by univariate and multivariate analysis. In contrast, stage of disease, lymph-node metastases, deep infiltration, clear-cell histology and low grade of differentiation were risk factors for tumor-related death. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.