Higher values of triglycerides: HDL-cholesterol ratio hallmark disease severity in children and adolescents with sickle cell anemia

Dyslipidemia has been described in sickle cell anemia (SCA) but its association with increased disease severity is unknown. Here, we examined 55 children and adolescents with SCA as well as 41 healthy controls to test the association between the lipid profiles in peripheral blood and markers of hemolysis, inflammation, endothelial function, and SCA-related clinical outcomes. SCA patients exhibited lower levels of total cholesterol (P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) (P<0.001), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (P<0.001), while displaying higher triglyceride (TG) levels and TG/HDL-c ratio values (P<0.001). TG/HDL-c values were positively correlated with lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.047), leukocyte count (P=0.006), and blood flow velocity in the right (P=0.02) and left (P=0.05) cerebral artery, while being negatively correlated with hemoglobin levels (P<0.04). Acute chest syndrome (ACS) and vaso-occlusive events (VOE) were more frequent in SCA patients exhibiting higher TG/HDL-c values (odds ratio: 3.77, P=0.027). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed independent associations between elevated TG/HDL-c values and SCA. Thus, children and adolescents with SCA exhibited a lipid profile associated with hemolysis and inflammatory parameters, with increased risk of ACS and VOE. TG/HDL-c is a potential biomarker of severity of disease.

Divergência genética entre genótipos de frangos tipo caipira / Genetic divergence between genotypes of alternative strain of broiler chickens

Objetivou-se com este trabalho verificar a divergência genética entre sete genótipos de frangos tipo caipira da linhagem Redbro utilizando as características de desempenho por meio de técnicas de análise multivariada. Foram utilizados 840 pintos de um dia, machos, distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, dos seguintes genótipos: Caboclo, Carijó, Colorpak, Gigante Negro, Pesadão Vermelho, Pescoço Pelado e Tricolor. Após a consistência dos dados, foram avaliadas as seguintes variáveis: ganho em peso médio diário, consumo de ração médio diário e conversão alimentar, para os períodos: 1 a 28, 1 a 56, 1 a 70 e 1 a 84 dias de idade; peso corporal ao nascimento, aos 28, 56, 70 e aos 84 dias de idade. O desempenho dos genótipos foi avaliado por meio da análise de variância multivariada e da função discriminante linear de Fisher, usando os testes do maior autovalor de Roy e da união-interseção de Roy para as comparações múltiplas. O estudo da divergência genética foi feito por meio da análise por variáveis canônicas e pelo método de otimização de Tocher. Os genótipos Caboclo e Gigante Negro apresentaram médias canônicas diferentes dos demais genótipos. As duas primeiras variáveis canônicas explicaram 97,41% da variação entre os genótipos. A divergência genética entre os genótipos avaliados permitiu a formação de quatro grupos com os seguintes genótipos: grupo 1 - Colorpak; grupo 2 - Pesadão Vermelho e Pescoço Pelado; grupo 3 - Carijó e Tricolor; e grupo 4 - Caboclo e Gigante Negro.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic divergence among seven genotypes of alternative strain of broiler chickens of the Redbro strain using the performance characteristics using multivariate analysis. We used 840 day old male chicks, distributed in a completely randomized design, with the following genotypes: Caboclo, Carijó, Colorpak, Gigante Negro, Pesadão Vermelho, Pescoço Pelado and Tricolor. After the consistency of the data, the following variables were analyzed: average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion for the periods: 1 to 28, 1 to 56, 1 to 70 and 1 to 84 days of age, body weight at birth, at 28, 56, 70 and at 84 days old. The performance of genotypes was assessed by multivariate analysis of variance and Fisher's linear discriminant function, using the tests of the largest eigenvalue of Roy and the Roy union-intersection for multiple comparisons. The study of genetic diversity was done by canonical variate analysis and the method of Tocher. The genotypes Caboclo and Gigante Negro had different canonical averages from the other genotypes. The first two canonical variables accounted for 97.41% of the variation among genotypes. The genetic divergence between the genotypes allowed the formation of four groups with the following genotypes: group 1 - Colorpak, group 2 - Pesadão Vermelho and Pescoço Pelado; group 3 - Carijó and Tricolor, and group 4 - Caboclo and Gigante Negro.

Avaliação genética de caprinos da raça Saanen nascidos no Brasil de 1979 a 2009 / Genetic evaluation of Saanen goats born in Brazil from 1979 to 2009

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar herdabilidades, correlações genéticas e fenotípicas e tendências genéticas das características morfológicas e de tipo de caprinos da raça Saanen nascidos no Brasil de 1979 a 2009. Dados de 1243 caprinos, 197 machos e 1046 fêmeas, foram utilizados para estimar parâmetros genéticos e tendência das características: perímetro torácico, comprimento corporal, altura na cernelha, altura, largura e comprimento da garupa, bem como as principais características que definem o padrão racial e a aptidão do animal (paleta e linha superior, membros e pés, tipo leiteiro, capacidade de corpo, úbere, ligamento traseiro e dianteiro, textura do úbere, tetos e nota). Os componentes de variância foram estimados pelo método da máxima verossimilhança restrita em análise multicaracterística. A tendência genética foi obtida por meio da regressão dos valores genéticos médios por ano de nascimento. As estimativas de herdabilidade das características morfofuncionais variaram de 0,08 a 0,45, as correlações genéticas de -0,58 a 0,89 e fenotípicas de -0,11 a 0,87. A tendência foi de um leve declínio ao longo dos anos para a maior parte das características avaliadas, o que evidencia a existência de variabilidade genética aditiva entre os animais, mas demonstra que a seleção praticada tem sido pouco efetiva...

The aim of this study was to estimate heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations and genetic trends of morphological characteristics and type of Saanen goats born in Brazil from 1979 to 2009. Data from 1243 goats, 197 males and 1046 females were used to estimate genetic parameters and trends for the following traits: girth, body length, wither height, height, width and rump length, and the main traits that define the breed standard and ability of the animal (shoulder and topline, limbs and feet, dairy type, body capacity, mammary gland, linking front and rear, texture of the udder, teats and note). Variance components were estimated by Restricted Maximum Likelihood multi-trait analysis. Genetic trends were obtained by regression of mean breeding values by year of birth. The heritability estimates of morphological and functional traits ranged from 0.08 to 0.45, the genetic correlations from -0.58 to 0.89 and phenotypes from -0.11 to 0.87. The trend was a slight decline over the years for most traits, which shows the existence of additive genetic variability among animals, but it demonstrates that the selection practiced has been ineffective...

Quantitative and descriptive analysis of the meniscotibial ligament in human corpses

The meniscotibial ligaments (LMT) of humans are capsular fibers with proximal origin in the lateral border of the menisci and distal insertion in the lateral border of the tibial condyle, also called coronary ligament of the knee. However, few studies describe the presence, course and anatomical variations of this ligament. Our objective was to evaluate the LMT through quantitative and descriptive methods. Eighty-five knees were examined(42 right knees [RK] and 43 left knees [LK]), dissected, evaluated, catalogued and photographed by four examiners. Twenty knees (23.53%) presented LMT, 6 (30%) in RK and 14 (70%) in LK. In two RKs, the LMT presented proximal insertion in the medial menisci and distal insertion in medial tibial condyle; in the other ones, the LMT presented proximal insertion in the lateral menisci and distal insertion in the lateral tibial condyle. In the LK, four LMT presented proximal insertion in the medial menisci and distal insertion in the medial tibial condyle, while the other ones presented proximal insertion in the lateral menisci and distal insertionin the lateral tibial condyle. One LMT in the LK presented proximal and distal insertion in both menisci and tibial condyle. The analysis of human corpses in our study suggests that the presence of the LMT is much more common in the LK than in the RK, with more frequent insertion in the proximal region of the lateral menisci and distal insertion in the lateral tibial condyle.