Relação entre proteína dietética e calciúria em crianças e adolescentes com nefrolitíase / Relation between diet protein and calciuria in children and adolescents with nephrolitiasis

PURPOSE: The objective was to evaluate the quality of diet and the relationship between protein diet and calciuria in children and adolescents with nephrolithiasis. METHODS: Forty-nine children and adolescents (28 male and 21 female; 10.1 +/- 3.16 years old) with nephrolithiasis were included in study. Diet evaluation was performed over a 3 day period in order to determine nutrient consumption. The analysis of diets were carried out by DietWin Clínico 3.0 software. One 24-hour urine sample was collected for the measurement of calcium. Nutritional status was also assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI). RESULTS: The diet of patients containe insufficient energy and calcium. High levels of protein (69.64 +/- 16.42 gm), mainly animal source (65.81 +/- 11.45%) and low levels of calcium (500.95 +/- 284.64 mg) was observed (95%). Analysis of 24 hour urine samples revealed that 25.0% of the patients presented hypercalciuria. A positive correlation (r = 0.26680) between animal protein intake and calciuria was found, in opposite of vegetable protein and calciuria correlation (r = -0.2675). CONCLUSIONS: Animal protein of the diet has a significant effect in urinary excretion of calcium in patients with nephrolithiasis.

Early diagnosis and treatment of leprosy in intradomiciliary contacts in a high prevalence area: Amazon region.

The importance of dermato-neurological examination of intradomiciliary contacts is well known as an important secondary preventive measure in leprosy control, due to the fact that it allows early diagnosis and treatment. This is an intervention trial in an area of high leprosy prevalence (Manaus/Brazil) where the proportion of contacts examined is low. The aim of the study is to assess whether a simple educational session conducted among patients increases contacts examination and leads to early case detection. The intervention group had examined more contacts (p < 0.05) but, paradoxically, presented fewer new cases than the control group. The authors discuss the probable causes for this unexpected outcome, the advantages of the intervention and other related issues.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as a tool for the taxonomic identification of snakes from the Elapidae and Viperidae families

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) for basic proteins may be a useful toll for the characterization of whole snake venoms and for the taxonomic classification of snakes of the Elapidae and Viperidae families. However, due to the close proximity of PAGE was not able to provide an efficient differentiation. This article reports the electrophoretic analysis of several venoms from the genera Micrurus, Bothrops, Bothriopsis, Crotalus and Lachesis and shows a typical and distinctive electrophoretic profile for each species, with intraspecific and geographic variation. Even in cases in which extreme morphological similarities were present, such as between B. jararacussu and B. pirajai ("Bahia jararacussu"), differentiation could be evidenced by PAGE. This simple and sensitive procedure may be applied to similar cases involving basic toxins.

Teste cicloergometrico em portadores da sindrome de Wolff-Parkinson-White. / Cycloergometric test in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome

Foram submetidos a teste cicloergometrico continuo (protocolo habitual) 30 pacientes (22 do sexo masculino) portadores da sindrome de Wolff-Parkinson_white (WPW). A idade variou de 13 a 70 anos. Nao havia evidencia de outras doencas nem estavam em tratamento com antiarritmicos. Durante o teste, nao foram observados sinais de comprometimento da funcao cardiaca nem arritmias significativas (4 pacientes haviam apresentado previamente taquiarritmias paroxisticas comprovadas). A onda delta permaneceu inalterada em 19 pacientes e nos 3 casos de WPW intermitente, o esforco nao determinou o seu aparecimento. Em 8 pacientes, submetidos a teste maximo, desapareceu a onda delta durante o esforco (mantendo-se o segmento PR curto), com frequencia cardiaca superior a 150 bpm. Neste subgrupo, a onda delta reapareceu apos o esforco (1 a 4 min), ainda com frequencia cardiaca superior a 100 bpm. Foi encontrada em 9 pacientes (30%) resposta isquemica indiscutivel, 1 deles evidenciou desaparecimento da onda delta durante o esforco. Os autores comentam a fisiopatologia das alteracoes eletrocardiograficas encontradas durante o exercicio e o mecanismo determinante de arritmias, concluindo que o teste ergometrico nao parece ser um metodo eficiente para inducao de arritmias e para analise de drogas antiarritmicas em portadores de WPW