Conhecimento e prática dos enfermeiros sobre hanseníase: ações de controle e eliminação / Conocimiento y práctica de enfermeros acerca de hanseniasis: acciones de control y eliminación / Knowledge and practice of the nurse about leprosy: actions of control and elimination

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar o conhecimento e a prática de enfermeiros da atenção primária de saúde quanto às ações de controle e eliminação da hanseníase. Método: estudo avaliativo, com abordagem qualitativa, utilizando o Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo, cujos dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, realizada com 16 enfermeiros. Resultados: os dados coletados revelaram que os profissionais de saúde possuem conhecimento suficiente sobre a Política Nacional de Controle e Eliminação da Hanseníase (PNCEH) e que as principais ações preconizadas foram executadas, porém, a notificação de casos suspeitos ou confirmados e a reinserção social do doente não foram citadas. Conclusão: manter os doentes em tratamento, sobrecarga de trabalho, falta de interdisciplinaridade e tratamento realizado em outros locais fora da comunidade foram dificuldades relatadas pelos profissionais. Os enfermeiros conhecem as ações direcionadas à assistência ao hanseniano, entretanto, o estudo aponta para a necessidade de uma prática mais alinhada ao que preconiza a PNECH. .

RESUMEN Objetivo: evaluar el conocimiento y la práctica de los enfermeros que trabajan en la atención primaria de salud como las acciones de control y eliminación de la hanseniasis. Método: es un estudio evaluativo con enfoque cualitativo, utilizando el Discurso del Sujeto Colectivo, cuyos datos fueron recolectados a través de entrevistas semi-estructuradas con 16 enfermeros. Resultados: los datos obtenidos revelaron que los profesionales de la salud tienen el conocimiento suficiente sobre la Política Nacional de Control y Erradicación de la Hanseniasis (PNCEH) y que las principales acciones recomendadas se han implementado, pero la notificación de los casos sospechosos o confirmados y reinserción social del paciente no fue mencionado. Conclusión: mantener a los pacientes en tratamiento, exceso de trabajo, falta de interdisciplinariedad y tratamiento realizado en otros lugares fuera de la comunidad fueron problemas reportados por el personal de salud. Los enfermeros conocen las acciones destinadas a ayudar a los pacientes con hanseniasis, sin embargo, el estudio apunta la necesidad de una practica más direccionado a lo que defiende la PNECH. .

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the knowledge and practice of primary health care nurses about control and elimination actions of leprosy. Method: evaluation study with qualitative approach, using the Discourse of the Collective Subject, data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 16 nurses. Results: the data collected revealed that health professionals have suffi cient knowledge about the National Policy on Control and Elimination of Leprosy (NPCEL) and that the main actions preconized were applied, however, notifi cation of suspected or confi rmed cases and social reintegration of the patient were not mentioned. Conclusion: keeping patients in treatment, overload of work, lack of interdisciplinarity and treatment performed at other locations outside of the community were diffi culties reported by professionals. Nurses know the actions addressed at assistance of leprosy patients, however, the study points to the need for a practice which is more aligned to what advocates NPCEL. .

Identification of PSEN1 and APP Gene Mutations in Korean Patients with Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Although mutations in three genes, amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PSEN1), and presenilin 2 (PSEN2), have been identified as genetic causes of earlyonset Alzheimer s disease (EOAD), there has been a single report on a PSEN1 mutation in Koreans. In the present study, we performed a genetic analysis of six Korean patients with EOAD. Direct sequencing analysis of the APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2 genes revealed two different mutations of the PSEN1 gene (G206S and M233T) and one mutation of the APP gene (V715M) in three patients with age-atonset of 34, 35, and 42 yr, respectively. In addition, two patients with age-at-onset of 55 and 62 yr, respectively, were homozygous for APOE epsilon 4 allele. One woman had no genetic alterations. These findings suggest that PSEN1 and APP gene mutations may not be uncommon in Korean patients with EOAD and that genetic analysis should be provided to EOAD patients not only for the identification of their genetic causes but also for the appropriate genetic counseling.

Molecular biology of the amyloid of Alzheimer's disease. An overview

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects a significant percentage of elderly individuals. Degenerative nerve cells express atypical proteins, and amyloid is deposited. The hallmark event of Alzheimer's disease is the deposition of amyloid as insoluble fibrous masses in extracellular neuritic plaques and around the walls of cerebral blood vessels. This review will focus on the advances on the knowledge of Alzheimer's amyloid, because it is becoming increasingly clear that the deposition of amyloid on neuritic plaques in the brain represents the earliest and most characteristic pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease. The main component of amyloid is a 4.2-4.5 KDa hydrophobic peptide, named amyloid beta-peptide, that is codified in chromosome 21 as part of a much larger precursor protein. The study of the mechanism by which the amyloid beta-peptide arises from the amyloid precursor protein is very important in order to understand the biological basis of amyloid deposition and its role in Alzheimer's disease