The use of the circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) urine cassette assay for the diagnosis and assessment of cure of Schistosoma mansoni infections in an endemic area of the Amazon region

Abstract INTRODUCTION Schistosomiasis is a poverty-related disease that affects people in 78 countries worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate the point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) test performance using sensitive parasitological methods as a reference standard (RS) in individuals before and after treatment. METHODS The RS was established by combining the results of 16 Kato-Katz slides and the Helmintex® method. Positivity rates of the POC-CCA test and Kato-Katz and Helmintex® methods were calculated before treatment and 30 days afterward. Furthermore, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and kappa coefficient before treatment were determined by comparing the methods. The cure rate was defined 30 days after treatment. RESULTS Among the 217 participants, the RS detected a total of 63 (29.0%) positive individuals. The POC-CCA test identified 79 (36.4%) infections. The evaluation of POC-CCA test performance in relation to the RS revealed a sensitivity of 61.9%, specificity of 74.0%, accuracy of 70.5%, and kappa coefficient of 0.33. Out of the 53 remaining participants after treatment, a total of 45 (81.1%) showed egg negative results, and 8 (18.9%) were egg positive according to the RS. A total of 5 (9.4%) egg-positive and 37 (69.8%) egg-negative individuals were positive by the POC-CCA test. CONCLUSIONS Our data show that the POC-CCA test has potential as an auxiliary tool for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infection, yielding better results than 16 Kato-Katz slides from three different stool samples. However, the immunochromatographic test lacks sufficient specificity and sensitivity for verifying the cure rate after treatment.

Avaliação, proposta de tratamento e intervençãofi sioterapêutica em um paciente com aderênciacicatricial no joelho / Evaluation, treatment proposal and physical therapy intervention in a patient with surgical adherence scarring in knee

Verificar os efeitos de um protocolo de tratamentofi sioterapêutico, em um paciente com aderência cicatricial cirúrgicada pele na região da patela, aplicado um ano após a cirurgia. Métodos:As avaliações ocorreram pré e pós-intervenção, envolvendo:severidade da aderência cicatricial, amplitude de movimento (ADM)articular do joelho, perimetria da perna e coxa, teste de fl exibilidadee força de resistência dos músculos quadríceps e isquiostibiais, potênciade membros inferiores, Atividades da Vida Diária (AVDs),Atividades Instrumentais da Vida Diária (AIVDs) e qualidade devida. O protocolo de tratamento envolveu: aplicação de aparelhoultrassom, alongamento de quadríceps e isquiostibiais, exercíciosde mobilizações articulares do membro inferior e fortalecimentomuscular voluntário, associado à eletroestimulação no quadríceps.O tratamento teve duração de sessenta minutos, cinco vezes porsemana, durante três meses. Resultados: Não foi observada alteraçãona severidade da aderência. Ocorreu melhora na ADM articular,perimetria, fl exibilidade, força de resistência e potência muscular domembro inferior acometido pela aderência, assim como na pontuaçãodas AVDs, AIVDs e qualidade de vida...

To evaluate the eff ects of a physical therapy protocolin a patient with adhe rence a surgical scarring tissue of the skin inthe region of the patella, implemented one year after surgery. Methods:Th e evaluations were performed pre-and post-intervention,involving: severity of scar tissue, range of motion (ROM) of theknee, leg and thigh perimeter, fl exibility test and resistance forceof the quadriceps and hamstrings, lower limb power, Activitiesof Daily Living (ADLs), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(IADLs) and quality of life. Th e treatment protocol involved: theapplication of ultrasound device, stretching the quadriceps andhamstrings, exercises of lower limb joint mobilization and musclestrengthening volunteer associated with electrical stimulation to thequadriceps. Th e treatment lasted sixty minutes, fi ve times a week forthree months. Results: there was no change in severity of adhesionscar. Th ere was improvement in joint ROM, perimetry, fl exibility,strength and muscular power of the aff ected limb by adherence, aswell as scores of ADLs, IADLs and quality of life...

Apical sealing ability comparison between GuttaFlow and AH Plus: in vitro bacterial and dye leakage / Comparação da capacidade de selamento apical entre os cimentos GuttaFlow e AH Plus: infiltração bacteriana e de corante in vitro

Objective - The success of the endodontic therapy demand a complete filling with maximum root canal system sealing, therefore the ideal filling should have a main and plentiful gutta-percha core associated to an endodontic sealer. In the effort to achieve an ideal filling material, arose the idea to incorporate gutta-percha powder and the sealer in a unique product, the GuttaFlow. Methods - Using 30 human teeth, the present study compared the marginal sealing capacity of the sealers GuttaFlow and AH Plus using the dual-chamber leakage model with E. faecalis during the experimental period of 60 days. Another leakage analysis was made by linear infiltration of the 1% methylene blue dye. Results - The results obtained from bacterial leakage showed no statistical difference under Fisher's exact test (p = 0.500). Similar results were founded from dye leakage that showed no statistical difference under ANOVA (p = 0.575) followed by t Test (p = 0.1492). Conclusion - These two sealers present similar behavior under booth marginal leakage methodologies.

Objetivo - O sucesso do tratamento endodôntico requer uma obturação completa do sistema de canais radiculares, assim, a obturação ideal deve ter uma grande e principal massa de guta-percha associada a um cimento endodôntico. Na tentativa de se alcançar este material obturador ideal, surgiu a idéia da união da guta-percha em pó e do cimento em um só produto, GuttaFlow®. Métodos - Este estudo avaliou comparativamente a capacidade de selamento marginal do cimento endodôntico GuttaFlow e do cimento AH Plus, utilizando para tal o método de infiltração da bactéria E. faecalis em modelo experimental de dupla câmara pelo período de 60 dias complementado em seguida pelo método de infiltração do corante azul de metileno a 1% em 30 dentes humanos unirradiculares. Resultados - Os resultados obtidos pela metodologia de infiltração bacteriana foram analisados estatisticamente através do teste Exato de Fisher e demonstraram não haver diferença significante entre os dois cimentos utilizados (p = 0.500); o mesmo aconteceu para a metodologia de infiltração de corante aonde verificou-se ausência de diferença estatisticamente significante diante dos testes de análise de variância ANOVA (p = 0.575) e testet (p = 0.1492). Conclusão - Os dois cimentos apresentam comportamento semelhante no que diz respeito à capacidade de selamento marginal frente às duas metodologias.