Epidemiological study of hepatitis B and C in a municipality with rural characteristics: Cássia dos Coqueiros, State of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B and C viral infections remain an important cause of global morbidity and mortality. Studies have been conducted in population groups of large cities, leaving gaps in the knowledge regarding the situation in small municipalities. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hepatitis B and C markers and presence of infection-associated factors. METHODS: All inhabitants of Cássia dos Coqueiros aged ≥18 years who agreed to participate in the research were included. We collected blood as well as information via a questionnaire between March 2011 and December 2013. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Among the 1,001 participants, 41 (4.1%) participants had a serological profile of hepatitis B viral exposure, and only one (0.1%) participant was considered a virus carrier. The frequency of isolated antibody to hepatitis B virus surface antigen (anti-HBs) markers was 17.8% for the overall population. In the multivariate analysis, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was associated with age, birth outside the State of São Paulo, history of hepatitis, ≥2 sexual partners in the last 6 months, and tattoos. Four (0.4%) participants had a serological profile of hepatitis C viral exposure. However, after confirmation using viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) evaluation, only one (0.1%) individual remained positive. CONCLUSIONS: The positivity rates for hepatitis B and C were low, despite greater sexual freedom and the recent emergence of illicit drugs, as observed by the health personnel working in Cássia dos Coqueiros.

Clinical featurss and severity of gastric emptyng delay in Brazilian patients with gastroparesis / Caracteristicas clinicas e grau de retardo do esvaziamento gastrico em pacientes brasileiros com gastroparesia

Context Gastroparesis is defined by delayed gastric emptying without mechanical obstruction of the gastroduodenal junction, which has been increasingly investigated. Nevertheless, knowledge on the relationships between etiology, symptoms and degree of delayed gastric emptying is limited. Objectives The demographic, clinical and etiological features of Brazilian patients with gastroparesis were studied and the relationships between these findings and the severity of gastric emptying were determined. Method This is a retrospective study of medical records of 41 patients with symptoms suggestive of gastroparesis admitted between 1998 and 2011, who had evidence of abnormally delayed gastric emptying on abdominal scintigraphy. Cases with idiopathic gastroparesis were compared with those of patients with neurologic disorders or diabetes mellitus, in whom autonomic neuropathy is likely to occur. Results The majority of the patients were women (75.6%) with a median age of 41 years and a long-term condition (median: 15 years). Twelve patients (29.3%) had a body mass index of less than 20 kg/m2. The most common presenting symptoms were dyspepsia (53.6%), nausea and vomiting (46.3%), weight loss (41.4%) and abdominal pain (24.3%). Regarding etiology, 16 patients had digestive disorders including idiopathic gastroparesis (n = 12), 12 had postoperative conditions, 11 had diseases of the nervous system, five had diabetes mellitus and in three cases gastroparesis was associated to a variety of conditions. In the majority of patients (65.8%) gastric emptying was severely delayed. There was no association between etiology of gastroparesis, type of presenting symptoms and the degree of delay in gastric emptying. Gastroparesis patients with proven (neurological conditions) or presumed (diabetes) nervous system involvements were significantly younger (P = 0.001), had more recent symptom onset (P = 0:03) and a trend towards more severe gastric empty ...

Contexto A gastroparesia é uma condição clínica definida por retarde anormal do esvaziamento gástrico, sem obstrução mecânica antro-piloro-duodenal, que vem sendo crescentemente estudada. No entanto, as relações entre etiologia, sintomas e grau de retarde do esvaziamento gástrico na gastroparesia são ainda pouco conhecidas. Objetivos Estudar as características demográficas, clínicas e etiológicas e o grau de retarde do esvaziamento gástrico em pacientes brasileiros com gastroparesia e comparar os casos idiopáticos com aqueles com doenças do sistema nervoso ou diabete melito, em que é alta a probabilidade de ocorrência de neuropatia autonômica. Método Estudo retrospectivo dos prontuários de 41 casos com sintomas sugestivos de gastroparesia admitidos entre 1998 e 2011, que tiveram comprovação de retarde anormal do esvaziamento gástrico em exame cintigráfico específico, que foi também revisto. Resultados Dentre os 41 casos, 31 (75,6%) eram mulheres; a mediana de idade foi de 41 anos e predominou quadro clínico de longa duração (mediana: 15 anos). Doze (29,26%) pacientes apresentavam índice de massa corporal inferior ao limite de 20 kg/m2. Os sintomas mais frequentes foram a dispepsia (53,6%), náuseas e vômitos (46,3%), perda de peso (41,4%) e dor abdominal (24,3%). Quanto à etiologia, 16 pacientes tinham afecções digestivas, incluindo a gastroparesia idiopática (n = 12), 12 eram de estados pós-operatórios, 11 tinham doenças do sistema nervoso, 5 tinham diabete melito e 3 eram de etiologias variadas. A maioria dos pacientes (65,8%) apresentou retarde do esvaziamento gástrico intenso ou muito intenso. Não houve qualquer associação entre etiologia da gastroparesia, sintomas apresentados e grau de retarde ...

Effect of a biteer bolus on oral, pharyngeal and esophageal transit of healthy subjetts

Context During swallowing, boluses stimulate sensory receptors of the oral, pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal regions. Sweet and tasteless foods are more acceptable for swallowing than bitter foods. A bitter bolus is unpleasant for most subjects. Our hypothesis was that the ingestion of a bitter bolus might alter the oral behavior, pharyngeal and esophageal transit when compared to a sweet bolus. Objective To evaluate whether the bitter taste of a liquid bolus causes alteration on oral, pharyngeal and/or esophageal transit in normal subjects in comparison with sweet bolus.' Method Scintigraphic evaluation of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal transit was performed in 43 asymptomatic subjects, 22 women and 21 men, ages 23-71 years, without problems with the ingestion of liquid and solid foods, and without digestive, cardiac or neurologic diseases. Each subject swallowed in random sequence and at room temperature 5 mL of a liquid bolus with bitter taste, prepared with 50 mL of water with 2 g of leaves of Peumus boldus, heated until boiling (boldus tea), and 5 mL of a liquid bolus with sweet taste, prepared with 50 mL of water with 3 g of sucrose, both labeled with 37 MBq of technetium phytate (Tc99m). Results There was no difference between the bitter bolus and the sweet bolus in mouth, pharynx and esophageal transit and clearance duration and in the amount of residues. Conclusion A bitter bolus, considered an unpleasant bolus, does not alter the duration of oral, pharyngeal and esophageal phases of swallowing, when compared with a sweet bolus, considered a pleasant bolus. .

Contexto Durante a deglutição o bolo estimula os receptores sensoriais da boca, faringe, laringe e esôfago. Os alimentos doces e sem gosto são mais aceitáveis para a deglutição do que os alimentos amargos, que tem gosto desagradável para a maioria dos indivíduos. A hipótese destes autores era que a ingestão de um bolo amargo pode alterar o trânsito oral, faríngeo e esofágico. Objetivo Avaliar se o gosto amargo de um bolo líquido provoca alteração do trânsito oral, faringeo e/ou esofágico de pessoas normais. Método Avaliação cintilográfica dos trânsitos oral, faringeo e esofágico foi realizada em 43 indivíduos assintomáticos, 22 mulheres e 21 homens, com idades entre 23-71 anos, sem problemas com a ingestão de alimentos líquidos e sólidos, sem doença digestiva, cardíaca ou neurológica. Cada indivíduo ingeriu, em sequência aleatória e na temperatura ambiente, 5 mL de um bolo líquido com sabor amargo, preparado com 2 g de folhas de Peumus boldus em 50 mL de água, aquecidas até a temperatura de fervura (chá de boldo), e 5 mL de um bolo líquido com sabor doce, preparado com 3 g de sacarose em 50 mL de água, ambos marcados com 37 MBq de tecnécio fitato (Tc99m). Resultados Não houve diferença entre o bolo amargo e o bolo doce na duração do trânsito pela boca, faringe e esôfago, e na quantidade de resíduos. Conclusão Um bolo amargo, considerado de sabor desagradável, não altera a duração das fases oral, faríngea e esofágica da deglutição, quando comparado com um bolo doce, considerado como sabor agradável. .

Hepatitis C among former athletes: association with the use of injectable stimulants in the past

This study was performed with the purpose of testing the hypothesis that the high prevalence of hepatitis C among former athletes is associated with their past use of injectable stimulants. The study involved the participation of 208 former professional and amateur soccer and basketball players from the region of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, who answered a questionnaire regarding their exposure to risk factors, including the use of injectable stimulants in the time they were engaged in sporting activities. ELISA tests were used to detect infection by the hepatitis C virus, and confirmed with PCR and genotyping for the positive cases. It was observed that the former use of injectable stimulants was a practice disseminated among the participants (24.5 percent), reaching 50.8 percent in the professionals. The overall prevalence for hepatitis C was 7.2 percent, with values of 11 percent among professionals and 5.5 percent among amateurs. In both categories, the presence of infection was markedly higher among those who admitted past use of injectable stimulants when compared to those who denied such practice (36 percent and 0.8 percent among amateurs; 21.9 percent and 0 percent among professionals, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that the use of those substances was the only variable associated with the risk of hepatitis C. This confirms previous observations, performed with reduced sample sizes and without comparison groups, which indicated that the use of injectable vitamins was a risk factor of hepatitis C among former athletes.

Trânsito de bolo pastoso pelo esôfagode pacientes com doença de Chagas / Esophageal transit of paste bolus in patients with Chagas disease

Estudou-se pelo método cintilográfico o trân»sito de bolo pastoso pelo esôfago de 20 pacien»tes com doença de Chagas e 21 controles. Os sujeitos realizaram deglutição única, sentados, de 10ml de bolo pastoso preparado com 4,5g de engrossante alimentar (Thick & Easy) diluído em 50ml de água, em frente do colimador do apa»relho de medicina nuclear, com registro de 20 imagens por segundo durante 20 segundos. O trânsito pelo esôfago foi analisado após defini»ção de regiões de interesse referentes às partes proximal, média e distal do órgão. Em 14 de 21controles (67,7%) e em 15 de 20 pacientes (75%) houve retenção total do bolo em parte proximal do esôfago. Não houve diferença entre contro»les (mediana: O,75s) e pacientes (mediana: O,55s) quanto ao tempo de entrada do bolo em parte proximal do esôfago. Nos sete controles e cinco pacientes em quem o bolo passou a parte proxi»mal do esôfago, a depuração (controles: 2,90s, pacientes: l,65s) e o trânsito (controles: l,90s, pacientes: O,85s) foram mais rápidos nos com doença de Chagas, com significância estatística apenas para a depuração. Os controles que tive»ram retenção do bolo em parte proximal não referiram disfagia. Os autores concluem que os resultados sugerem que a passagem do bolo pas»toso pela parte proximal do esôfago é mais rápi»da nos pacientes com doença de Chagas do que em controles, grande número de sujeitos tendo retenção do bolo em parte proximal quando exe-cutam apenas uma deglutição.

Accuracy of the 14C-urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori

CONTEXT: The development of simple, accurate and low-expense techniques for detection of Helicobacter pylori infection has great relevance. OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of a rapid 14C-urea breath test (UBT) employing a very simple device for breathed air collection. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Hospital das Clinicas of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeiräo Preto. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred and thirty-seven adult patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the Clinical Hospital. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Histology for Helicobacter pylori (HP); urease test; urea breath test (UBT). RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen patients were infected by HP (HP+) according to both histology and the urease test, and 22 patients were HP-negative (HP-), according to the same two tests. UBT was capable of discriminating between HP+ and HP- in a way that was similar to the combination of urease test and histology. When this combination of results is taken as the "gold standard" for HP infection, the sensitivity and specificity of UBT are both greater than 90 percent for a range of cut-off points and breathed air collection times. CONCLUSION: The rapid UBT employing a simple device for air collection has a high accuracy in determining HP infection