Chest radiography as a method of screening for occult cancer in patients with idiopathic deep vein thrombosis

The occurrence of neoplasms in patients with idiopathic deep vein thrombosis (DVT) may result in a significant reduction in survival rates. The aim of our study was to assess the use of chest X-rays (CXRs) as a screening method of intrathoracic neoplasms in patients who with idiopathic DVT. In observational, cross-sectional study, the medical records of 99 patients with idiopathic DVT, who were submitted to CXR (during the hospital stay or within 30 days after discharge), were investigated. Of these patients, 15.1% had images suggestive of thoracic neoplasias (single or multiple pulmonary nodules and mediastinal widening). Neoplasms were diagnosed in 4 patients in the follow-up with CXR. The CXR is an option of early screening for thoracic neoplasms and other nonmalignant diseases in patients with idiopathic DVT.     

Leishmania sp. isolated from human cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil characterized as Leishmaniamajor-like

The identification and characterization of Leishmania are relevant to diagnosis, treatment, eco-epidemiology studies, prophylactic measures and control of the disease. Two strains of Leishmania (MHOM/BR/1971/BH49 and MHOM/BR/1971/BH121), isolated from human cutaneous leishmaniasis, were studied using biological and molecular characteristics, in comparison with WHO reference strains. These studies are important because both strains were incorporated in a vaccine against American cutaneous leishmaniasis, and one of these strains has been used to prepare specific and sensitive antigen for serodiagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil. Studies were made on the growth rates of promastigotes in Grace's insect medium, infectivity to C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, electrophoresic mobility patterns of isoenzymes, random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), simple sequence repeat-anchored PCR amplification (SSR-PCR) and DNA fingerprinting profiles, infectivity to murine macrophages and cellular immune response. Infections of mice and macrophages were significantly different among the strains studied. Attempts to infect mice with culture promastigotes were unsuccessful with BH121, but BH49 infected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Isoenzyme electrophoretic mobility patterns, RAPD and SSR-PCR using DNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with nine arbitrary primers, as well as DNA fingerprinting studies with a biotin-labeled 33.15 fingerprinting probe showed similar profiles to those of the Leishmania major WHO reference strain.     

Is there any association between overweight,physical activity,fat and fiber intake with functional constipation in adolescents?

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of functional constipation and its association with overweight, physical activity and the estimation of fat and fiber intake in adolescents.

Methods: In all, 386 adolescents aged 14–19?years from the city of Maceió (Alagoas, Northeast Brazil) were included in this study. Participants responded to standardized questionnaires that assessed bowel habits, physical activity and the estimation of fat and dietary fiber intake. Functional constipation was defined according to the Rome criteria. Weight and height were measured using standard methods. Body mass index (BMI) was used to evaluate whether a participant was overweight.

Results: The prevalence of constipation was 24.9%. The median BMI was higher in female adolescents with constipation (22.6) compared with female adolescents without constipation (20.0; p?=?.001). Physical inactivity (fewer than 300?min of physical activity per week) was more frequent in females (62.7%; 126/201) than in males (42.2%; 78/185; p?=?.000). No association was observed between physical inactivity and functional constipation. Excessive intake of fat in the diet was found in 45.3% (175/386) of participants, while poor dietary fiber intake was found in 84.2% (325/386) of participants. No association was found between a fat-rich diet and constipation. Low dietary fiber intake was associated with constipation in female adolescents (odds ratio = 3.42, 95% confidence interval: 1.08 and 12.06).

Conclusions: The prevalence of constipation was high among this group of adolescents. Constipation was not associated with physical inactivity but was associated with a low dietary fiber intake and higher BMI values in female adolescents.     

Evaluation of renal enzymuria and cellular excretion as an marker of acute nephrotoxicity due to an overdose of paracetamol in Wistar rats

INTRODUCTION: The present study was conducted to determine whether the urinary levels of excreted enzymes, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate (AST) and alanine aminotransferases (ALT), can efficiently indicate, within 24 h, an acute nephrotoxicity due to an overdose of paracetamol (PAR). METHODS: A baseline urine was collected from the experimental group. Thereafter, blood collected from the orbital sinus (1.0 ml) and paracetamol (650 mg/kg of body weight) was administered by gavage. After the drug administration, animals were returned to the metabolic cages and then urine was collected in the next 22 h. Blood and urine collection was performed at time 0+24 h (T(24)), as well as at times 48 and 72 h (T(48) and T(72)). After the last urine and blood collection, the rats were killed and the kidneys removed and prepared for histological examination. Plasma creatinine and urinary levels of creatinine (to determinate glomerular filtration rate-GFR), GGT, ALP, LDH, ALT and AST were measured. Kidney tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain for histological assessment. RESULTS: Urinary levels of GGT, ALP and LDH enzymes were significantly higher (P<0.05) at T(24) when compared to the levels at T(0) and returned to basal levels at T(48) and T(72). The number of urinary epithelial cells at T(24) was significantly higher when compared to the control time (T(0)) (P<0.001). The GFR was significantly reduced 24, 48 and 72 h after the drug administration. CONCLUSION: The number of urinary epithelial cells and urinary enzymes levels are a simple and low cost procedure that is available and can help in the detection of renal acute lesions.     

Relation between clinical evaluation of deglutition and the computed tomography in acute ischemic stroke patients

Stroke is one of the main causes of permanent lesions in adults and can provoke global motor sequels, speech and language alterations, and swallowing. During the acute phase, the detection of aspiration risks is essential to prevent lung complications and to allow appropriate therapeutic interventions, making possible precocious oral feeding. In the literature, the correlations between the disturbance of the deglutition and the location of the lesion in patients with stroke are not specific. This way, the objective of the present study was to determine if correlation exists between the location of the vascular lesion and dysphagia in acute ischemic stroke patients. Bedside clinical evaluation of deglutition was made in 27 patients with acute ischemic stroke and the results were compared with the computed tomography findings. In the clinical evaluation, 48% patients were dysphagic and 52% had functional deglutition. In dysphagic patients, 84% had lesion in carotid territory, with 76% in the middle cerebral artery. In patients with functional deglutition, 57% had lesion in the middle cerebral artery and 22% in the posterior cerebral artery. In 50% of the patients with functional deglutition and in 46% of the dysphagics the lesion was in the left hemisphere. In conclusion, the hemispherical location is not associated with the presence or not of dysphagia, however most of the dysphagic patients presented alterations in the carotid territory, especially in the middle cerebral artery.     

Status epilepticus in fragile X syndrome

Epilepsy is frequent in fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. Status epilepticus (SE), however, seems exceptional in FXS, particularly as an initial epileptic manifestation. To our knowledge, SE was reported in only four FXS patients. We report the clinical features and electroencephalography (EEG) findings of five children with FXS, who presented with SE as their initial seizure.     

Addition of caffeine to equine thawed sperm increases motility and decreases nitrite concentration

The aim of this study was to improve the quality of frozen-thawed equine sperm by the addition of caffeine to it. Semen from nine stallions was frozen and different concentrations of caffeine (3, 5 and 7.5 mM) were added to frozen-thawed semen. The sperm kinetic parameters, membrane functionality and integrity, and acrosome integrity and spontaneous acrosome reacted sperm were evaluated with a computer-assisted sperm analysis, a hypoosmotic swelling test and epifluorescent microscopy, respectively. Nitrite and hydroperoxide concentrations of frozen-thawed semen were measured using spectrophotometry. Sperm fertility was evaluated by artificial insemination (AI) of 16 mares with thawed ejaculates (control and 5 mM caffeine-treated groups). Compared to that in the control, the addition of 5 mM caffeine induced an increase in sperm motility (38.9 ± 2.8 versus 32.6 ± 3.4%), and a decrease in nitrite concentration (11.4 ± 2.1 versus 12.8 ± 2.9 µM/µg protein, p < .05). Moreover, the pregnancy rate from AI in the caffeine group was significantly higher (62.5%) than that in the control group (12.5%). These data suggest that caffeine reduced the nitrite concentration and enhanced sperm motility in thawed equine sperm, thus increasing the fertility rate in mares inseminated with caffeine-treated equine semen.