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Biomedical subjects

D A Meira

Publications and source records attributed to D A Meira.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The malarial impact on the nutritional status of Amazonian adult subjects.

The anthropometric (body weight, height, upper arm circumference, triceps and subescapular skinfolds; Quetelet index and arm muscle circumference) and blood biochemistry (proteins and lipids) parameters were evaluated in 93 males and 27 females, 17-72 years old voluntaries living in the malarial endemic area of Humaita city (southwest Amazon). According to their malarial history they were assembled in four different groups: G1--controls without malarial history (n:30); G2--controls with malarial history but without actual manifestation of the disease (n:40); G3--patients with Plasmodium vivax (n:19) and G4--patients with Plasmodium falciparum (n:31). The malarial status was stablished by clinical and laboratory findings. The overall data of anthropometry and blood biochemistry discriminated the groups differently. The anthropometric data were low sensitive and contrasted only the two extremes (G1 > G4) whereas the biochemistry differentiated two big groups, the healthy (G1 + G2) and the patients (G3 + G4). The nutritional status of the P. falciparum patients was highly depressed for most of the studied indices but none was sensitive enough to differentiate this group from the P. vivax group (G3). On the other hand the two healthy groups could be differentiated through the levels of ceruloplasmin (G1 < G2) and alpha nitrogen (G1 > G2). Thus it seems that the malaria-malnourishment state exists and the results could be framed either as a consequence of nutrient sink and/or the infection stress both motivated by the parasite.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A retrospective study of 40 victims of crotalus snake bites. Analysis of the hepatic necrosis observed in one patient.

Forty patients with a diagnosis of snake bite were studied at the Infectious and Parasitic Disease Service of the Faculty of Medicine of Botucatu. Thirty were males and 10 females, ranging in age from 16 to 70 years. All were farm laborers and 35 of them were bitten in the lower limbs. Two of the 9 patients seen more than 6 hours after the bite died. The low mortality rate (5%) observed could be explained by the early care provided, by the use of appropriate doses of anti-crotalus serum, parenteral hydration, urine alkalinization with sodium bicarbonate and induction of osmotic diuresis with a mannitol solution. Anatomopathological examination of one of the patients who died revealed extensive hepatic necrosis. The authors discuss the possibility of the effect of a factor of snake venom in the genesis of hepatic necrosis and in the increased transaminase levels.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Plasmodium falciparum infection and pregnancy. Case reports].

In 1982 and 1985, an infant and a pregnant woman in the second trimester of her third pregnancy were respectively observed in Humaitá County, State of Amazonas, Brazil. Both had been diagnosed as having Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The infant was a boy born in the State of Amazonas with malaria since the 10th day of life and was examined at one month of age. His mother was 19 years old, was born in the State of Amazonas and had shown primary malarial infection on the day of the delivery of this child, her second. The pregnant woman was 22 years old, was born in the State of Amazonas, had two children respectively aged 8 and 6 years and had suffered three previous bouts of malaria, the first in 1983 and the last in March 1985. Both the infant and the pregnant woman were treated with clindamycin and evolved satisfactorily to clinical and parasitic cure. The infant probably presented with congenital malaria in view of the short period of incubation, which may have been due to the fact that he did not receive maternal antibodies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Isoniazid acetylating phenotype in patients with paracoccidioidomycosis and its relationship with serum sulfadoxin levels, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase activities.

The authors evaluated the isoniazid acetylating phenotype and measured hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase activities plus serum sulfadoxin levels in 39 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (33 males and 6 females) aged 17 to 58 years. Twenty one (53.84%) of the patients presented a slow acetylating phenotype and 18(46.16%) a fast acetylating phenotype. Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity was decreased in 5(23.80%) slow acetylators and in 4(22.22%) fast acetylators. Glutathione reductase activity was decreased in 14(66.66%) slow acetylators and in 12(66.66%) fast acetylators. Serum levels of free and total sulfadoxin were higher in slow acetylator (p less than 0.02). Analysis of the results permitted us to conclude that serum sulfadoxin levels are related to the acetylator phenotype. Furthermore, sulfadoxin levels were always above 50 micrograms/ml, a value considered therapeutic. Glutathione reductase deficiency observed in 66% of patients may be related to the intestinal malabsorption of nutrients, among them riboflavin, a FAD precursor vitamin, in patients with paracoceidioidomycosis.

Acetylation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Seroprevalence of measles antibodies in a pediatric population from Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil].

A study of the seroprevalence of measles antibodies was conducted in a population of children residing in Botucatu, SP, in order to asses their immunological status whether induced by natural infection or by vaccination. A total of 101 children were studied, all of which had been vaccinated against measles. The laboratory tests used to determine the presence of antibodies in the collected blood samples were hemagglutination inhibition (HI) and immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA). HI results showed that 92.1% of the samples presented antibodies against measles. Samples with titers <1:4 when studied by HI were retested by ELISA in the same laboratory and only two continued to be negative for measles antibodies. Thus, measles antibodies were present in 98% of the serum samples from the children studied.

Antibodies, Viral↗