Helminth parasite communities of two Physalaemus cuvieri Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leiuperidae) populations under different conditions of habitat integrity in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Brazil / Comunidade de helmintos parasitos de duas populações de Physalaemus cuvieri Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leiuperidae) sob diferentes condições de integridade de habitat da Mata Atlântica, Brasil

Abstract Adults of Physalaemus cuvieri were collected and necropsied between November 2009 and January 2010. This was carried out in order to report and compare the helminth fauna associated with two populations of this anuran species from the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest under different conditions of habitat integrity. The hosts from the disturbed area were parasitized with five helminth taxa: Cosmocerca parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis (Nematoda) and Polystoma cuvieri (Monogenea) while those from the preserved area had four helminth taxa: C. parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., and Acanthocephalus saopaulensis (Acanthocephala). Prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance, mean richness, importance index and dominance frequency of helminth component communities were similar in both areas. The helminth community associated with anurans from the disturbed area had higher diversity than that from the preserved area. This study is the first to report on the acanthocephalan parasites of Ph. cuvieri, and the similarity between helminth fauna composition of two host populations under different selective pressures.

Resumo Adultos de Physalaemus cuvieri foram coletados e necropsiados entre Novembro de 2009 e Janeiro de 2010. Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de informar e comparar a helmintofauna associada a duas populações desta espécie de anuro proveniente da Mata Atlântica sob duas condições de integridade de hábitat. Os hospedeiros da área perturbada estavam parasitados por cinco taxa de helmintos: Cosmocerca parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis (Nematoda) e Polystoma cuvieri (Monogenea), enquanto aqueles da área preservada apresentaram quatro taxa de helmintos: C. parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., e Acanthocephalus saopaulensis (Acanthocephala). Prevalência, intensidade média de infecção, abundância média, riqueza média, índice de importância específica e freqüência de dominância da comunidade componente dos helmintos foram similares em ambas as áreas. A comunidade helmíntica associada aos anuros da área perturbada apresentou-se mais diversa do que a encontrada naqueles da área preservada. Este estudo é o primeiro a relatar parasitas acantocéfalos em Ph. cuvieri, e a semelhança entre a composição da helmintofauna de duas populações hospedeiras sob diferentes pressões seletivas.

Síndrome de Marfán / Marfan Syndrome

Marfan Syndrome is an autosomic dominant genetic disorder of the elastic fibers of connective tissue. Although neonatal and infant forms of the disease exist, the classic Marfan Syndrome is the most frequent form of presentation in childhood and adolescence, whith a hereditary background in 70 to 85 percent of cases. Due to the natural evolution of the disease, there is a progressive involvement of different organs or systems such as skeletal, cardiovascular, dura, ocular, skin-integument and lungs. However, the suspicion must arise on skeletal clinical aspects which are first evident signs. The cardiovascular involvement appears later but is the major life threatening complication. When suspecting Marfan phenotype, it is mandatory to apply Ghent criteria based on family history and clinical findings to establish the diagnosis. If diagnosis is confirmed, the severity of organ involvement must be assessed, to take preventive and/or therapeutic measures, including the search of new cases among relatives. When patients do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria, they must have a yearly evaluation considering the natural progressive evolution of the disease. The aim of this review is to spread and unify criteria on this disease whose diagnosis is eminently clinical, that requires early integral and updated management by a multidisciplinary group, to obtain the best quality of life and survival.