Análise da tendência espaço-temporal da hepatite B no estado do Pará, 2006 a 2018 / Analysis of the Spatio-temporal trend of hepatitis B in the state of Pará, 2006 to 2018

Objetivo: o presente estudo tem por objetivo realizar uma análise do perfil espaço-temporal da hepatite B no estado do Pará, entre os anos de 2006 e 2018. Métodos: trata-se de um trabalho epidemiológico, ecológico e descritivo, realizado no estado do Pará por meio de seus municípios e regiões de saúde. A base de dados foi levantada perante consulta ao Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS). Foram calculadas as variações percentuais anuais (APC) nas taxas de incidência de hepatite B, mediante a modelagem pelo método Jointpoint, usando o ano calendário como variável de regressão. Resultados: no estado do Pará, foram notificados, no período do estudo, 3,228 casos, sendo, 48,3% em homens e 51,7% em mulheres, com média de 248,3 casos por ano (61,8 de desvio padrão). A taxa de incidência média entre os anos de 2006 a 2018, nos 144 municípios no estado do Pará, obteve uma grande variação de 0 a 21,54 casos por 100.000 mil habitantes. Conclusão: apesar da dispersão nas taxas de incidência, obteve-se uma tendência crescente da ocorrência de casos de hepatite B no período estudado, sugerindo a necessidade de medidas de saúde pública mais eficazes no combate ao HBV.

Objective: this study aims to analyze the spatiotemporal profile of hepatitis B in the State of Pará from 2006 to 2018. Methods: this is an ecological and descriptive epidemiological study carried out in the State of Pará through its municipalities and health regions. The database was collected from the consultation with the SUS Computer Department (DATASUS). The annual percentage changes (APC) in the hepatitis B incidence rates were calculated through modeling by the Jointpoint method, using the calendar year as a regressive variable. Results: in the state of Pará, 3,228 cases were reported, of which 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women, with an average of 248.3 cases per year (61.8 standard deviations). The average incidence rate between the years 2006 to 2018 in the 144 municipalities in the state of Pará obtained a wide variation from 0 to 21.54 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Conclusions: despite the dispersion in incidence rates, there was an incre

Epidemiological and TNFα polymorphism evaluation in patients with cryptococcal meningitis treated at a referral hospital in North Brazil

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The present study evaluated the epidemiology of cryptococcal meningitis and TNFα gene polymorphisms in patients at a reference hospital in northern Brazil. METHODS: Samples from 25 patients infected with Cryptococcus spp. were collected to confirm the infection and to analyze the TNFα gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: Cryptococcus neoformans was detected as the predominant etiological agent (100%) in HIV-positive patients. No genetic polymorphic changes were found. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was observed between the analyzed TNFα polymorphisms and cryptococcal meningitis.

Mortality in patients with multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: a meta-analysis

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the leading cause of nosocomial infections with high mortality rates owing to the limited therapeutic options for multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) and metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing strains. Herein, we present a meta-analysis exploring the association between MDRPA and São Paulo MBL-1 (SPM-1)-producing strains vs. mortality. Online databases were screened to identify studies published between 2006 and 2016. A total of 15 studies, comprising 3,201 cases of P. aeruginosa infection, were included. Our results demonstrated a higher mortality rate among patients infected with MDRPA (44.6%, 363/813) than those with non-MDRPA infection (24.8%, 593/2,388) [odds ratio (OR) 2.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.70-3.36, p <0.00001]. The risk of mortality in patients with non-SPM-1 strains was four times higher than that observed in the patients of the SPM-1 group; however, no statistically significant difference was observed (p = 0.43). In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrated that patients infected with MDRPA had a significantly higher mortality rate than that of patients infected with non-MDRPA strains, especially patients with bloodstream infection (BSI), immunosuppression, and inadequate antimicrobial therapy. The absence of studies on the molecular aspects of blaSPM-1 and its association with mortality limited the analysis; therefore, our results should be interpreted with caution. Our findings also highlight the need for more studies on the molecular aspects of resistance and the peculiarities of different nosocomial settings.

Mutagenicity of hydroxyurea in lymphocytes from patients with sickle cell disease

Hydroxyurea is commonly used in the treatment of myeloproliferative diseases and in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). The use of this antineoplastic agent in patients with SCD is justified because of the drug's ability to increase fetal hemoglobin levels, thereby decreasing the severity of SCD. However, high doses or prolonged treatment with hydroxyurea can be cytotoxic or genotoxic for these patients, with an increased risk of developing acute leukemia. This danger can be avoided by monitoring the lymphocytes of patients treated with hydroxyurea. Cytogenetic tests are important endpoints for monitoring the physiological effects of physical and chemical agents, including drugs. In this work, we assessed the genotoxicity of hydroxyurea in short-term cultures of lymphocytes from SCD patients. Hydroxyurea was not cytotoxic or genotoxic at the concentrations tested in the G2 phase of the cell cycle. These results support the use of hydroxyurea in the treatment of SCD, although further work is necessary to understand the effects of this drug in vivo.