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Biomedical subjects

P L Tauil

Publications and source records attributed to P L Tauil.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

[Urbanization and dengue ecology].

Demographic changes occurring in underdeveloped countries due to intense rural-urban migration since the 1960s have resulted in overcrowded cities with multiple deficiencies, particularly in housing and basic sanitation. Some 20% of the population in large and medium-sized cities live in slums or under similar conditions. Lack of regular water supply and public garbage collection foster the proliferation of potential breeding sites for Aedes aegypti (the main mosquito vector for dengue), including precarious reservoirs for potable water and disposable recipients which accumulate water, like used cans and plastic and glass bottles. Modern industries also produce large volumes of disposable materials. Propagation of the dengue virus and the spread of dengue vectors are favored by the high intensity, frequency, and speed of private and public transportation. Such factors can help explain the re-emergence of dengue, the most important arbovirus in the world today, affecting thousands of people each year.

Aedes↗
PubMed2000

Prevalence of celiac disease among blood donors in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: There are no studies on the prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in either Brazil or, as far as we know, South America. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of CD in healthy blood donors in the city of Brasilia, Brazil. METHODS: Sera were obtained, independently of age and gender, from an unselected group of 2045 blood donors attending the Hematological Center of Brasilia. An IgG antigliadin antibody (AGA) test was used as a first-level screening step, followed by IgA-AGA test, serum IgA antiendomysium (EMA), and total serum IgA determination performed in all sera showing abnormally high IgG-AGA results. Jejunal biopsy was suggested for all subjects showing at least one of the following: IgA-EMA positivity; IgG-AGA and IgA-AGA positivity; IgG-AGA positivity and selective IgA deficiency. AGA was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and IgA-EMA was ascertained by indirect immunofluorescence on cryostat sections of monkey esophagus. Jejunal mucosa samples were obtained with a Watson capsule. RESULTS: Sixty-two (3.03%) blood donors had IgG-AGA above the cut-off values. Fifty-eight individuals showed isolated high values of IgG-AGA, whereas four had simultaneously increased IgG and IgA-AGA. Three patients had positive IgA-EMA test (one with both IgG- and IgA-AGA and two with only IgG-AGA) and underwent jejunal biopsies that disclosed complete villous atrophy associated with an increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes and hypertrophic criptae. In this study group, the prevalence of biopsy-proven celiac disease was 1.47 +/- 1.66 in 1000 subjects. CONCLUSIONS: We found a prevalence of undiagnosed CD of 1:681 among apparently healthy blood donors. These preliminary results support the view that CD is not a rare disease in Brazil.

Adolescent↗