Trastornos autoinmunitarios del oído interno / Autoimmune inner ear disorders

La incidencia de enfermedad autoinmunitaria del oído interno (EAOI) es difícil de determinar: probablemente,se trata de una entidad poco frecuente, responsable de menos del 1% del total de casos de trastornos auditivos o mareos. Sin embargo, el diagnóstico de EAOI puede pasarse por alto debido a la falta de pruebas diagnósticas específicas. La principal característica de esta afección clínicamente diagnosticada es la presencia de una pérdida de audición neurosensitiva (PANS) bilateral, rápidamente progresiva y, con frecuencia, fluctuante, que se produce durante un período de semanas a meses. La progresión de la pérdida auditiva es demasiado rápida como para ser diagnosticada como presbiacusia y demasiado lenta como para llevar al diagnóstico de PANS súbita. Los síntomas vestibulares, talescomo inestabilidad generalizada, ataxia, vértigo posicional y vértigo episódico, pueden estar presentes en casi el 50% de los pacientes. En ocasiones, sólo un oído se encuentra afectado inicialmente, pero la pérdida auditiva bilateral sucede en la mayoría de los pacientes, con umbrales audiométricos simétricoso asimétricos. Casi el 25% al 50% de los pacientes también presentan acúfenos y sensación de plenitud auditiva, los cuales pueden ser fluctuantes. Las enfermedades autoinmunitarias sistémicas coexisten enel 15% al 30% de los pacientes

ncidence of autoimmune inner ear disease (AIED) is difficult to determine: probably it is a rare disease, accounting for less than 1% of all cases of hearing impairment or dizziness. Nevertheless, the diag-nosis of AIED might be overlooked because of the lack of specific diagnostic tests. The hallmark of this clinically diagnosed condition is the presence of a rapidly progressive, often fluctuating, bilateral SNHL over a period of weeks to months. The progression of hearing loss is too rapid to be diagnostic for presbycusis and too slow to conclude a diagnosis of sudden SNHL. Vestibular symptoms, such as generalized imbalance, ataxia, positional vertigo and episodic vertigo may be present in almost 50% of patients. Occasionally only one ear is affected initially, but bilateral hearing loss occurs in most patients, with symmetric or asymmetric audiometric thresholds. Almost 25%-50% of patients have also tinnitus and aural fullness, which can fluctuate. Systemic autoimmune diseases coexist in 15%-30% of patients.

Exploration of Brazilian biodiversity and selection of a new oleaginous yeast strain cultivated in raw glycerol.

The objective of this study was to use glycerol generated from the synthesis of biodiesel to study the oleaginous potential of wild yeasts. An initial selection was performed via a rapid and qualitative technique by staining with Sudan Black B. Initially 129 yeasts were present, from which 5 were selected and cultivated in liquid medium containing pure or raw glycerol. The yeast LEB-M3, isolated from the Pantanal, presented lipid content of 20.46% and 56.58% for cultivation in pure and raw glycerol, respectively. This strain was genotypically identified as Candida sp. The fatty acid profile showed predominance of oleic acid (C18:1), 57.35% for cultivation in pure glycerol, and in raw glycerol linoleic acid (C18:2) was predominant (46.0%). It was possible to select a yeast with high lipid concentrations 9.14 g/L and fatty acid profile similar to vegetable oils commonly used in the synthesis of biodiesel.

Short communication: Effects of different whey concentrations on physicochemical characteristics and viable counts of starter bacteria in dairy beverage supplemented with probiotics.

Fermented dairy beverages supplemented with the probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis containing different concentrations of whey in their formulas (0, 20, 35, 50, 65, and 80%, vol/vol) were processed and checked for pH; proteolysis; levels of glucose, lactose, ethanol, acetic acid, lactic acid, diacetyl, and acetaldehyde; and lactic bacteria and probiotic counts. The results allowed the effect of whey concentration on the dairy beverages to be observed for each of the different parameters analyzed. The degree to which the whey concentration was useful for the microbial cultures, particularly probiotic cultures, appeared to have a limit. In general, dairy beverages processed with different levels of whey in their formulation exhibited good potential as a food matrix for supplementation with probiotic bacteria, with production of characteristic compounds of fermented milk products, such as volatiles and organic acids.

Benthic foraminifera distribution in a tourist lagoon in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: a response to anthropogenic impacts.

Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, located in the Rio de Janeiro City, receives several types of polluted discharges. The knowledge of the sediment microfauna correlated with heavy metal and organic matter concentrations could supply important data about the conditions of the lagoon. The benthic foraminiferal assemblage presented larger diversity and more abundant samples in the lagoon entrance than in the inner area. The Ammonia tepida - Elphidium excavatum foraminiferal assemblage is characterized by dwarf, corroded and weak organisms. Agglutinated species were found only near the entrance. Low abundance values and sterility of five samples in the inner area (north/northeast) can be caused by high levels of heavy metals and organic matter. A. tepida shows negative correlation with increasing heavy metals values. PAHs and coprostanol high indexes, and the absence or low presence of microfauna in samples around the lagoon margin confirm illegal flows from gas stations and domestic sewage.