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PubMed2005

Occurrence of insertion sequences within the genomes and Tn1546-like elements of glycopeptide-resistant enterococci isolated in Brazil, and identification of a novel element, ISEfa5.

Insertion sequences (IS) occur widely within the Tn1546-like elements responsible for VanA glycopeptide resistance in enterococci from several countries. As such insertions can be used as epidemiological markers and for studying horizontal transfer of gene clusters, we investigated the distribution of IS6770, IS1542, IS1216V, IS1476, and IS1251 elements in 26 VanA Enterococcus faecium and 21 VanA Enterococcus faecalis from Brazil. PCR, using genomic DNA as a template, indicated that most of the isolates contained IS6770 (97%), IS1216V (87%) and IS1476 (72%) elements. IS1251 was also detected, but at a higher frequency in E. faecium (80%) than in E. faecalis (14%). None of the isolates harboured IS1542. Only two of 47 isolates had IS elements within their Tn1546-like elements; one possessed IS1251 between vanS and vanH, as reported in the United States; another possessed a novel IS element, designated ISEfa5, located between vanX and van Y. This novel element was found in the genomic DNA of 25 (96%) E. faecium and II (52%) E. faecalis. In stability studies, no IS-mediated changes were detected in the Tn1546-like elements of 25 vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) monitored over 11 months. These results suggest that the occurrence of IS in Brazilian isolates is similar to that reported in American isolates, but that these elements occur rarely within the vanA gene clusters. As patterns of IS carriage did not correlate with the PFGE type of the VRE, the prevalence of IS elements in genomic DNA of VRE is not a useful epidemiological marker. However, the presence of IS-modified Tn1546-like elements, which appear to be rare in Brazil, could be a useful molecular marker in local epidemiological studies to monitor the evolution and horizontal transmission of VanA elements.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2006

Smoking in early adolescence: evidence from the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of tobacco use, and factors associated with it, in early adolescent (aged 10-12 years) participants of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. METHODS: Children born in 1993 in Pelotas, Brazil were included in a prospective health study. In 2004-2005, all cohort members were sought. Adolescents and mothers were interviewed. A confidential questionnaire was applied to adolescents, including a section on smoking. Smoking experience was defined as having tried at least one cigarette in life. RESULTS: Follow-up rate was 87.5%; 4452 adolescents were interviewed. Mean age was 11.3 years. Only 58 adolescents did not answer the question on smoking experience. Out of the 4394 respondents, 162 (3.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1-4.2) had tried smoking. Of these, approximately half smoked the first cigarette before 10 years of age. Seventy-three cohort members reported smoking daily. In multivariable analysis, variables positively associated with smoking experience were: male gender, maternal smoking during pregnancy, living without the biological father, poor relationship with the mother, being beaten by the parents, family conflict, maternal smoking in 2004-2005, bad influences on the adolescent, participation in fights, history of attempting to run away from home, and experience with alcoholic beverages. The association was negative for socioeconomic level. CONCLUSION: Family-related variables and habits of the adolescent were strongly associated with smoking in early adolescence. Because experimentation with tobacco in adolescence is related to a marked increase in the risk of tobacco addiction in adulthood, early interventions are warranted.

Brazil↗
PubMed2005

Rapid discrimination of rabies viruses isolated from various host species in Brazil by multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Rabies is carried mainly by mammalian carnivores and vampire bats in Latin America. However, rabies virus (RV) has been isolated in recent years from not only vampire bats in rural areas but also from several non-vampire bat species in urban areas, respectively. Therefore, rapid molecular screening is necessary for efficient epidemiology of these RVs. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for determining the origins of 54 RV isolates from various host species in Brazil. And to evaluate the multiplex RT-PCR as a potential diagnostic tool, we investigated the sensitivity of this method. In addition, we compared the results with a phylogenetic tree developed from sequences of the RV glycoprotein (G protein) gene. Multiplex RT-PCR products showed five different sizes of products, whereas the phylogenic tree showed six groups. Of these six groups, four corresponded with the four sizes of the multiplex RT-PCR products. The other two groups showed correspondance with another one size of the multiplex RT-PCR products, indicating that multiplex RT-PCR results reflected the lineage of the 54 isolates. This study also showed that this method can detect trace amounts of RNA. In conclusion, this multiplex RT-PCR method allows the rapid, specific, and simultaneous detection of RVs isolated from various host species in Brazil.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The reappearance of Victoria lineage influenza B virus in Brazil, antigenic and molecular analysis.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to influenza A, minor influenza B viruses can co-circulate with the dominant strain during an epidemic allowing the re-emergence of old strains and reassortment between those different strains. The 2001-2002 influenza season in the northern hemisphere was distinguished by the re-emergence of the Victoria-lineage viruses, which replaced the Yamagata-lineage, after being restricted to East Asia throughout the 1990s. OBJECTIVES: To describe the antigenic and genetic characteristics of influenza B viruses detected in South and South East Brazil and determine their lineages. STUDY DESIGN: Influenza samples collected during epidemics between 1999 and 2002 were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Positive results were confirmed through multiplex PCR and isolation in cell culture. Isolated viruses were antigenically characterized by hemagglutination inhibition. Fourteen hemagglutinin (HA) gene sequences obtained in this work were used for phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Brazilian isolates from 2002 were associated with the Victoria-lineage, diverging from the vaccine used throughout that influenza season in Brazil. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the reappearance of Sichuan/7/97-like samples in South and South East Brazilian Regions simultaneously. They indicate the need for neuraminidase gene evaluation and demonstrate the importance of influenza laboratory surveillance to establish which strains should be included in the influenza vaccine.

Brazil↗
PubMed2006

From cnidarians to mammals: the use of animals as remedies in fishing communities in NE Brazil.

This work documents zootherapeutic practices in Northeast Brazil. It is primarily based on field surveys carried out in fishing villages located in the states of Maranhão and Paraíba, where 60 respondents (38 men and 22 women) provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. A total of 100 animal species (72 families), distributed in 12 taxonomic categories, was used as medicine. Zootherapeutic resources were used to treat 62 different diseases. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Threatened species, such as the seahorse (Hippocampus reidi, Ginsburg, 1933) (Syngnathidae) and the green turtle (Chelonia mydas, Linnaeus, 1758) (Cheloniidae) represented important medicinal resources for the studied communities. This shows the need to integrate traditional knowledge into strategies to conserve and manage faunistic resources in Brazil.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Plants popularly used for loosing weight purposes in Porto Alegre, South Brazil.

In this study, 14 herbalists (herb sellers) were interviewed about popular use of plants with weight loss purpose in Porto Alegre, a South Brazil city. For all identified species, scientific data were reviewed aiming to establish a correlation between popular use and biological properties. Seventy-eight samples were reported as having weigh loss properties. These samples come from 23 species and Asteraceae encompasses the greatest number of representatives. The greatest number of herbalist's citations was Baccharis articulata. The majority of plants have traditional use in Brazil but none is explicitly cited for loosing weight purposes. The pharmacological data are mainly from animal and in vitro studies and do not straight related to obesity. Only Ilex paraguariensis presents clinical data of efficacy in the treatment of obesity. Seven species present pre-clinical data that indicate a potential role in the control of certain conditions which are associated with obesity, such as hyperlipidemia (Campomanesia xanthocarpa, Cuphea carthagenensis, Cynara scolymus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Ilex paraguariensis) and high levels of blood glucose (Achyrocline satureioides, Baccharis trimera, Campomanesia xanthocarpa). In conclusion, scientific data found are insufficient to guarantee the efficacy and safety of these plants for treating obesity. However, some of them present activities which could be useful to treat certain obesity comorbidities and deserve further studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Brazilian plants as possible adaptogens: an ethnopharmacological survey of books edited in Brazil.

In a survey, from Brazilian books, we searched plants that are in popular use for purposes resembling those of an adaptogen. This study focused on 24 books by authors from diverse regions in the country, resulting in a total of 1317 citations of uses related to a possible adaptogen effect from approximately 766 plants. Only species native to Brazil, cited in at least four books, were selected, resulting a total of 33 species, belonging to 24 families. Of these, four species have been studied previously in relation to effects that are considered as part of an adaptogen effect (anti-stress, memory enhancement, increased physical and/or sexual performance): Heteropterys aphrodisiaca (Malpighiaceae), Paullinia cupana (Sapindaceae), Ptychopetalum olacoides (Olacaceae), and Turnera diffusa (Turneraceae). Three others--Pfaffia glomerata, Pfaffia paniculata (Amaranthaceae), and Trichilia catigua (Meliaceae)--have also been the object of pharmacological studies that support their use as a possible adaptogen, but they are listed in less than four books. The overall results obtained in the present review of Brazilian folk literature reveals that Brazil is rich in plants with potential adaptogen-like effect, but lacks pharmacological studies (mostly clinical ones) to confirm these therapeutic properties.

Books↗
PubMed2005

A new early Holocene human skeleton from Brazil: implications for the settlement of the New World.

Increasing skeletal evidence from the U.S.A., Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil strongly suggests that the first settlers in the Americas had a cranial morphology distinct from that displayed by most late and modern Native Americans. The Paleoamerican morphological pattern is more generalized and can be seen today among Africans, Australians, and Melanesians. Here, we present the results of a comparative morphological assessment of a late Paleoindian/early archaic specimen from Capelinha Burial II, southern Brazil. The Capelinha skull was compared with samples of four Paleoindian groups from South and Central America and worldwide modern groups from W.W. Howells' studies. In both analyses performed (classical morphometrics and geometric morphometrics), the results show a clear association between Capelinha Burial II and the Paleoindians, as well as Australians, Melanesians, and Africans, confirming its Paleoamerican status.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed2005

Viral respiratory infection in Curitiba, Southern Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: Viral infection is the major cause of respiratory tract pathology affecting individuals of all ages, especially children and immunocompromised patients. There is a paucity of data on etiological and epidemiological infection caused by virus, in Southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonality, and the incidence of the viruses involved in respiratory infections in Curitiba, South Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred seventy-three nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) from primary care health units and 1348 NPA or bronchoalveolar lavages from a tertiary-care teaching hospital were studied. Viruses were identified by indirect immunofluorescence and cellular culture. RESULTS: Thirty percent of tested samples scored positive for the presence of virions. The percentages of infection for each virus from outpatients and hospitalized, respectively, were 3.3, 19.3 for respiratory syncytial virus; 13.9, 3.5 for influenza A, 3.0, 1.7 for influenza B; 3.3, 5.6 for parainfluenza virus and 2.2, 0.8 for adenovirus. A higher incidence of positive results was found during the winter season, thus showing a pattern of seasonality. CONCLUSION: Viral agents are one of the main etiologies of respiratory tract pathology in the population studied.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Paracoccidioidomycosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: review of 12 cases observed in an endemic region in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics of 12 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS: The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of PCM in 12 patients infected with HIV attended at a University Hospital of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were evaluated. RESULTS: All patients were men, mean age 36.1 years old, and 11 had a diagnosis other than PCM as the aids-defining illness. Lymph nodes were the organs most often involved (10 patients, 83.3%), followed by lung involvement, usually with an interstitial pattern (seven patients, 58.3%), papule-nodular skin lesions with central ulceration in six (50%) and ulcerated lesions of oral mucous membrane in five (41.6%) patients. Pleural involvement occurred in one patient who presented large pleural effusion beside a pathologic rib fracture caused by P. brasiliensis. Seven patients showed involvement in more than one extrapulmonary organ. In eight (66.6%) cases the diagnosis was established by direct microscopy of clinical specimens. All patients used trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and seven patients were also treated with amphotericin B. Eight patients died with progressive PCM manifestations. CONCLUSION: Our review demonstrates that PCM, an endemic systemic mycosis in Brazil, when associated with AIDS, behaves clinically as an opportunistic disease.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
PubMed2007

Viral infections of the central nervous system in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological studies have shown that most central nervous system (CNS) infections are viral. The objective of this study is to contribute to the knowledge base concerning viral CNS infections in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. METHODS: Two hundred cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were taken from patients with clinically suspected viral CNS infection and analyzed for herpesvirus, enterovirus, alphavirus and flavivirus using PCR assays. RESULTS: Viral genome was detected in 43 CSF samples (23.34%): 6% cytomegalovirus (CMV), 5% herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), 0.5% each varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and 11.34% enterovirus. Co-infections (CMV-enterovirus and CMV-HSV-1) were found in 3 patients. CSF parameters such as cytology and protein level were normal in many patients with viral genome-positive CSF. CONCLUSIONS: Data obtained in this study contribute to the knowledge base concerning viral CNS infections in Brazil. This information will have a major impact on the clinical management of patients with CNS disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Endosymbionts of Ctenocephalides felis felis (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) obtained from dogs captured in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Specimens of fleas Ctenocephalides felis felis (1052 female symbol/448 male symbol), obtained from 150 dogs in Centro de Controle de Zoonoses de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were dissected and examined for endosymbionts. Three protozoan, Nolleria pulicis, a gregarine (Actinocephalidae) and Leptomonas sp., together with one cestode, Dipylidium caninum were identified. Infections by N. pulicis and Leptomonas sp. occurred mainly in the warm-rainy period. The prevalence and distribution of these endosymbionts in fleas derived from Brazil and South America, and the their variation according to sex and season, are reported for the first time.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Investigation of natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbon inputs in sediments using geochemical markers. II. Sao Sebastião, SP--Brazil.

The São Sebastião Channel, NE São Paulo State, Brazil, is an area of environmental interest of that state not only because of the tourism, but also because of the presence of the most important oil terminal of Brazil, the PETROBRAS Maritime Terminal (DTCS). Sediment samples were collected at 15 sites in the channel, extracted and analyzed by GC/FID and GC/MS for composition and levels of the following organic geochemical markers: aliphatic hydrocarbons (normal and isoprenoid alkanes), petroleum biomarkers, linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total concentrations varied from 0.04 to 8.53 micorg g(-1) for aliphatics, from 51.1 to 422.0 ng g(-1) for petroleum biomarkers, from 12.6 to 27.7 ng g(-1) for LABs and from 20.4 to 200.3 ng g(-1) for PAHs. The PETROBRAS Maritime Terminal (DTCS), Sao Sebastião Harbor and sewage outfalls along the area had clear influences on the geochemical marker concentrations, especially at locales in the central and north parts of the channel.

Alkanes↗
PubMed2006

Analysis of the near full length genomes of HIV-1 subtypes B, F and BF recombinant from a cohort of 14 patients in São Paulo, Brazil.

The human immune deficiency virus (HIV) exhibits strikingly tremendous amount of genetic variability. Such feature is critically important for the virus to adapt to environmental changes by escaping the host immune system and by escaping candidate vaccine. Therefore, understanding of such diversity is fundamental for the design of successful drugs or vaccine, which is urgently needed to bring the HIV/AIDS epidemic under control. In this study, we investigated the magnitude of diversity of the HIV-1 near full-length genomes from patients previously assigned as infected with non-recombinant HIV-1 subtypes B and F1 variants based on small portion of viral genome. HIV-1 proviral DNA was extracted from 14 samples previously classified in our laboratory as six subtypes B and eight subtypes F on the basis of small amplicon sequencing. Reamplifications of DNA from these samples were carried out by an overlapping PCR followed by direct sequencing. The data were phylogenetically inferred. Sequence analysis revealed that two out of six partially identified subtype B and six out of eight partially identified subtype F were in fact BF recombinants throughout their full genomes. Two pairs BF recombinants had identical genomic recombination structure and distinct from the Argentinean CRF 12_BF strains, probably represents a novel circulating recombinant forms in Brazil. Our data provided new genetic material of some of the HIV-1 subtypes currently circulating in the country and points to the widespread of BF recombinants which are expected to change the epidemic nature by approaching the level of subtype B in Brazil.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Molecular typing of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from public hospitals in Recife, Brazil.

Thirty nosocomial isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae, collected from three public hospitals in Recife, Brazil, between 1999 and 2000, were analysed in order to determine their epidemiological relatedness and genetic characteristics. The isolates were characterised by biotyping, antibiotyping, protein analysis, plasmid profile and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The majority of the clinical isolates were resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular to beta-lactams, and 30% were found to be ESBLs producers. RAPD proved to be the most effective technique in discriminating unrelated K. pneumoniae isolates. It was confirmed by the highly genetic similarity found among related isolates from an hospital outbreak. We conclude that K. pneumoniae infections in Recife has been caused by a variety of bacterial genotypes. This is the first report that revealed the subtypes of K. pneumoniae in Brazil by plasmid analysis and RAPD.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2006

Karyotypic similarity among Barycholos ternetzi and five species of the genus Eleutherodactylus from southeastern Brazil (Anura, Brachycephalidae).

Comparative cytogenetic analyses were carried out in six species of Brachycephalidae from southeastern Brazil. Barycholos ternetzi, Eleutherodactylus binotatus, Eleutherodactylus guentheri, Eleutherodactylus juipoca, Eleutherodactylus parvus and Eleutherodactylus sp. have 2n=22 karyotypes with a marked variation in the morphology of chromosome pairs 8, 10 and 11, which are of telocentric or metacentric types, resulting in FN=38, 40 and 44. Eleutherodactylus have a single chromosome pair bearing Ag-NOR, i.e. pair 1 in E. binotatus, pair 6 in E. guentheri and E. parvus, and pair 11 in E. juipoca and Eleutherodactylus sp. In contrast, B. ternetzi showed Ag-positive sites in the chromosome pairs 1, 4, 5, 9 and 11, and only one to three labelings per metaphase in each individual. Nevertheless, the main chromosome pair with Ag-NOR in the species seems to be the 11th, like in E. juipoca and Eleutherodactylus sp. The NOR site was confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) technique in E. binotatus and in B. ternetzi, bearing 1p1p and 9p11p11p Ag-NOR pattern, respectively. All the species exhibited predominantly centromeric C-banding pattern, but interstitial bands have also been observed in some cases. In E. binotatus, there is an indication of geographical difference in the distribution of the interstitial C-bands. The fluorochromes GC-specific chromomycin A(3) (CMA(3)) and AT-specific 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), with distamycin A (DA) counterstaining, provided the molecular content of some repetitive regions in the karyotypes of the species. One male of E. binotatus presented an extensive heteromorphism, involving at least five different pairs, probably as a consequence of multiple reciprocal translocations. Such rearrangements might be responsible for the multivalent chain seen in the meiosis of this specimen, as well as in another male, although not exhibiting chromosome heteromorphism. The remaining males and those belonging to the other species have always shown 11 bivalents in diplotene and metaphase I cells. In all male specimens, metaphases II presented 11 chromosomes. Despite the observed discrepancies, the five species of Eleutherodactylus have a great uniformity in the 2n=22 karyotypes, suggesting an assemblage of species from southeastern and southern Brazil, in contrast to northern and northeastern assemblage which is characterized by higher diploid numbers. Undoubtedly, B. ternetzi could be included in that proposed assemblage, due to its karyotypic similarity with the Eleutherodactylus species, as evidenced in the present study. This fact strongly supports the close relationships of both genera, previously inferred on the basis of several characters shared by their species.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Association between gestational night blindness and serum retinol in mother/newborn pairs in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: Gestational night blindness (XN) is associated with increased risk of reproductive morbidity and mortality. This study investigated the prevalence of gestational XN among postpartum women treated in a public maternity hospital in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and evaluated its association with maternal and neonatal (cord blood) serum retinol concentrations. METHODS: XN was evaluated retrospectively, using an interview according to guidelines of the World Health Organization, in 222 postpartum women (< or = 6 h after delivery) after singleton births who had low obstetric risk. Serum retinol concentrations were measured according to the modified Bessey method, with a cutoff point lower than 1.05 micromol/L for inadequate serum retinol concentration. RESULTS: Prevalence of gestational XN was 18%, and inadequate maternal and cord blood serum retinol concentrations were found in 24.4% and 45.5% of samples, respectively. The results associated gestational XN with inadequate maternal serum retinol concentration (P = 0.000), and an association was observed between maternal and neonatal serum retinol concentrations (P = 0.000). A poor association was observed between maternal XN and serum levels of retinol in newborn children (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that prevalence of gestational XN and inadequate serum retinol concentration among postpartum women and newborns is a concern, calling attention to the need for studies in other parts of Brazil. In addition, the risk of inadequate serum retinol in newborns was significantly higher among infants of postpartum women with serum retinol levels below 1.05 micromol/L. Gestational XN was associated with inadequate levels of maternal serum retinol, and the results suggest a poor relation between maternal XN and vitamin A nutritional status of newborns.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Prevalence of undernutrition in elderly patients hospitalized in a geriatric unit in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated, from anthropometric and biochemical indicators, the prevalence of undernutrition within an elderly population hospitalized in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and identified social demographic, clinical and biochemical factors associated with undernutrition. METHODS: A transverse sectional study involving 197 elderly patients was conducted. Anthropometric data were obtained from subjects directly or indirectly; clinical characteristics, including health problems, functional and cognitive abilities, and use of medication, were gathered from medical records; social demographic information was acquired by interviewing the subject or carer. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with undernutrition. RESULTS: According to the body mass index cutoff points recommended by the World Health Organization, 29.7% of subjects were classified as undernourished and 43.8% as eutrophic. Application of the Nutrition Screening Initiative system gave rise to an inverse situation in which 54.7% of subjects were considered undernourished and only 29.2% were eutrophic. Statistical analysis of the studied variables showed that calf circumference < or =31 cm was significantly associated with undernutrition (P < 0.0001) irrespective of the classification system employed, and may thus be considered a strong marker for undernutrition. In contrast, total serum cholesterol level > or =4.14 mmol/L was identified as a protective factor against undernutrition (P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of undernutrition among the hospitalized elderly in Brazil is very high. The measurement of calf circumference is a non-invasive and economical approach that can facilitate evaluation of the nutritional status of elderly individuals.

Aged↗