Suicide mortality temporal trends in people aged 60 years or more in the Brazilian states: 1980 to 2009

The scope of this paper is to determine the temporal evolution of mortality by suicide in people aged 60 or more per State in Brazil between 1980 and 2009. Historical mortality by suicide data (ICD-9 codes E950 to E959 and ICD-10 codes X60 to X84 and Y87.0) were obtained from the Mortality Information System (SIM / MS). Data regarding population counts were obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. In the assessment of temporal trends the Poisson regression model was used, in which the dependent variable was the number of deaths and the centralized calendar year was the explanatory variable. Statistically significant trends were considered those whose p-value was d" 0.05. The results revealed the presence of a statistically significant increasing trend in four states and a decrease in two (general population; 60 years or more). In the male population there was an increase in five states and a reduction in two. The female rate showed an increase in one state and a decrease in three. There was an increasing trend in Piauí, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte and a reduction in Amazonas, Roraima, and S?o Paulo for people aged between 60 and 69. Increasing rates were observed in the population aged 70-79 in Piauí and decreasing trends in Roraima.     

Factors associated with suicide mortality among the elderly in Brazilian municipalities between 2005 and 2007

This scope of this paper was to conduct an ecological analysis of suicide mortality of people aged 60 years or more in Brazilian municipalities between 2005 and 2007, by investigating factors associated with the event. Data on suicide deaths were extracted from the Mortality Information System, codes X60 to X86 and Y87.0 (ICD-10). Poisson, negative binomial and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression models were adjusted. The latter exhibited the best results when comparing models. The proportion of non-whites (negative association), the rate of hospitalization for mood disorders (positive association) and sex ratio (negative association) were identified as factors associated with suicide.     

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) – A suitable reservoir for variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum?

The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a common insectivore in most parts of Europe and is frequently infested by the ticks Ixodes ricinus and I. hexagonus. I. ricinus ticks have been found infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum, an obligate intracellular bacterium, but little is known about the potential of the hedgehog as a reservoir host. In this study, the infection with A. phagocytophilum and the genetic variants involved were investigated in a captive hedgehog population which was kept in a fenced, natural grass and bush garden habitat, and also in its ticks. Additionally hedgehogs from hedgehog caretaking stations were investigated. EDTA blood and ticks were collected from the captive hedgehog population once a month from March to October 2007 and in March and April 2008. All 3 developmental stages of I. ricinus and I. hexagonus occurred on the hedgehogs. After DNA extraction, the samples were screened for A. phagocytophilum with a real-time PCR, and selected samples were further investigated with a nested PCR targeting the partial 16S rRNA gene, followed by sequencing. One hundred thirty-six out of 220 hedgehog blood samples (61.8%) from altogether 48 individuals, 413 out of 563 I. ricinus samples and 90 out of 338 I. hexagonus samples were PCR-positive. Thirty-two hedgehogs were positive more than once, most frequently twice or 3 times, but also up to 9 times. Sequencing of the partial 16S rRNA gene resulted in 6 variants, but one variant (‘A’) was the most frequent which appeared in 93.8% of the positive hedgehogs. This variant (equaling Frankonia II, GenBank AF136712) has recently been reported from human, equine, and canine granulocytic anaplasmosis cases and thus, its specific association with hedgehogs is an important finding in the epidemiology of A. phagocytophilum in Europe.The high infection rate of both hedgehogs and ticks with A. phagocytophilum and the simultaneous infestation with 2 tick species of all developmental stages suggest that the hedgehog may be a suitable reservoir for at least some variants of A. phagocytophilum.     

Sublingual immunization with the phosphate‐binding‐protein (PstS) reduces oral colonization by Streptococcus mutans

Bacterial ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters play a crucial role in the physiology and pathogenicity of different bacterial species. Components of ABC transporters have also been tested as target antigens for the development of vaccines against different bacterial species, such as those belonging to the Streptococcus genus. Streptococcus mutans is the etiological agent of dental caries, and previous studies have demonstrated that deletion of the gene encoding PstS, the substrate‐binding component of the phosphate uptake system (Pst), reduced the adherence of the bacteria to abiotic surfaces. In the current study, we generated a recombinant form of the S. mutans PstS protein (rPstS) with preserved structural features, and we evaluated the induction of antibody responses in mice after sublingual mucosal immunization with a formulation containing the recombinant protein and an adjuvant derived from the heat‐labile toxin from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains. Mice immunized with rPstS exhibited systemic and secreted antibody responses, measured by the number of immunoglobulin A‐secreting cells in draining lymph nodes. Serum antibodies raised in mice immunized with rPstS interfered with the adhesion of bacteria to the oral cavity of naive mice challenged with S. mutans. Similarly, mice actively immunized with rPstS were partially protected from oral colonization after challenge with the S. mutans NG8 strain. Therefore, our results indicate that S. mutans PstS is a potential target antigen capable of inducing specific and protective antibody responses after sublingual administration. Overall, these observations raise interesting perspectives for the development of vaccines to prevent dental caries.     

Endophthalmitis caused by Agrobacterium radiobacter

Infections due to Agrobacterium radiobacter are rare. This study reports 2 cases of A. radiobacter endophthalmitis. To the authors' knowledge, these are only the second and third reported cases of endophthalmitis caused by this Gram-negative rod.     

Histamine Content of the Oxyntic Mucosa from Duodenal Ulcer Patients: Effect of Helicobacter pylori Eradication

The histamine concentration of the oxyntic mucosa was determined in Helicobacter pylori -positive patients with duodenal ulcer before and after antimicrobial therapy and in H. pylori -negative subjects. Determination of serum gastrin was also performed in duodenal ulcer patients before and after H. pylori eradication. The histamine content of the oxyntic mucosa was lower in patients with duodenal ulcer than in H. pylori -negative subjects, but it increased after H. pylori eradication. Conversely, in patients in whom therapy failed to eradicate the microorganism, the histamine content remained unchanged. Serum gastrin levels fell after microorganism eradication, and the percentage of this fall was correlated with the percentage of increase in gastric histamine. In conclusion, our findings suggest that abnormalities of histamine store present in duodenal ulcer patients might be a feature of H. pylori infection.