Respiratory system parameters in children with low severity cystic fibrosis: is there early involvement in relation to healthy peers? / Parâmetros do sistema respiratório em crianças com fibrose cística de baixa gravidade: há acometimento precoce em relação a pares saudáveis?

ABSTRACT Objective: To compare and analyze pulmonary function and respiratory mechanics parameters between healthy children and children with cystic fibrosis. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included healthy children (HSG) and children with cystic fibrosis (CFG), aged 6-13 years, from teaching institutions and a reference center for cystic fibrosis in Florianópolis/SC, Brazil. The patients were paired by age and sex. Initially, an anthropometric evaluation was undertaken to pair the sample characteristics in both groups; the medical records of CFG were consulted for bacterial colonization, genotype, and disease severity (Schwachman-Doershuk Score — SDS) data. Spirometry and impulse oscillometry were used to assess pulmonary function. Results: In total, 110 children were included, 55 in each group. In the CFG group, 58.2% were classified as excellent by SDS, 49.1% showed the ΔF508 heterozygotic genotype, and 67.3% were colonized by some pathogens. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between both groups (p<0.05) in most pulmonary function parameters and respiratory mechanics. Conclusions: Children with cystic fibrosis showed obstructive ventilatory disorders and compromised peripheral airways compared with healthy children. These findings reinforce the early changes in pulmonary function and mechanics associated with this disease.

RESUMO Objetivo: Comparar e analisar parâmetros de função pulmonar e de mecânica respiratória entre escolares saudáveis e com fibrose cística (FC). Métodos: Estudo transversal que incluiu escolares saudáveis (GES) e com FC (GFC), com idades entre seis e 13 anos, provenientes de instituições de ensino e de um centro de referência da FC em Florianópolis/SC, Brasil, pareados por idade e sexo, respectivamente. Inicialmente, conduziu-se avaliação antropométrica para pareamento e caracterização de ambos os grupos e, no GFC, consultou-se prontuário médico para registro dos dados de colonização bacteriana, genótipo e gravidade da doença (Escore de Schwachman-Doershuk — ESD). Para a avaliação da função pulmonar, realizou-se espirometria e a avaliação da mecânica respiratória foi conduzida por meio do sistema de oscilometria de impulso. Resultados: Participaram 110 escolares, 55 em cada grupo. No GFC, 58,2% foram classificados pelo ESD como excelentes, 49,1% apresentaram genótipo ∆F508 heterozigoto e 67,3% eram colonizados por alguma patógeno. Houve diferença significativa (p<0,05) na maioria dos parâmetros de função pulmonar e de mecânica respiratória entre os grupos. Conclusões: Escolares com FC apresentaram distúrbio ventilatório obstrutivo e com comprometimento de vias aéreas periféricas, em comparação aos escolares hígidos. Esse evento reforça o início precoce da alteração de função pulmonar e de mecânica respiratória nessa enfermidade, evidenciados pelos achados desta investigação.

COVID-19 diagnosis using clinical markers and multiple explainable artificial intelligence approaches: A case study from Ecuador.

The COVID-19 pandemic erupted at the beginning of 2020 and proved fatal, causing many casualties worldwide. Immediate and precise screening of affected patients is critical for disease control. COVID-19 is often confused with various other respiratory disorders since the symptoms are similar. As of today, the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is utilized for diagnosing COVID-19. However, this approach is sometimes prone to producing erroneous and false negative results. Hence, finding a reliable diagnostic method that can validate the RT-PCR test results is crucial. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications in COVID-19 diagnosis has proven to be beneficial. Hence, clinical markers have been utilized for COVID-19 diagnosis with the help of several classifiers in this study. Further, five different explainable artificial intelligence techniques have been utilized to interpret the predictions. Among all the algorithms, the k-nearest neighbor obtained the best performance with an accuracy, precision, recall and f1-score of 84%, 85%, 84% and 84%. According to this study, the combination of clinical markers such as eosinophils, lymphocytes, red blood cells and leukocytes was significant in differentiating COVID-19. The classifiers can be utilized synchronously with the standard RT-PCR procedure making diagnosis more reliable and efficient.

24-Week ß-alanine ingestion does not affect muscle taurine or clinical blood parameters in healthy males.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of chronic beta-alanine (BA) supplementation on muscle taurine content, blood clinical markers and sensory side-effects. METHODS: Twenty-five healthy male participants (age 27 ± 4 years, height 1.75 ± 0.09 m, body mass 78.9 ± 11.7 kg) were supplemented with 6.4 g day-1 of sustained-release BA (N = 16; CarnoSyn™, NAI, USA) or placebo (PL; N = 9; maltodextrin) for 24 weeks. Resting muscle biopsies of the m. vastus lateralis were taken at 0, 12 and 24 weeks and analysed for taurine content (BA, N = 12; PL, N = 6) using high-performance liquid chromatography. Resting venous blood samples were taken every 4 weeks and analysed for markers of renal, hepatic and muscle function (BA, N = 15; PL, N = 8; aspartate transaminase; alanine aminotransferase; alkaline phosphatase; lactate dehydrogenase; albumin; globulin; creatinine; estimated glomerular filtration rate and creatine kinase). RESULTS: There was a significant main effect of group (p = 0.04) on muscle taurine, with overall lower values in PL, although there was no main effect of time or interaction effect (both p > 0.05) and no differences between specific timepoints (week 0, BA: 33.67 ± 8.18 mmol kg-1 dm, PL: 27.75 ± 4.86 mmol kg-1 dm; week 12, BA: 35.93 ± 8.79 mmol kg-1 dm, PL: 27.67 ± 4.75 mmol kg-1 dm; week 24, BA: 35.42 ± 6.16 mmol kg-1 dm, PL: 31.99 ± 5.60 mmol kg-1 dm). There was no effect of treatment, time or any interaction effects on any blood marker (all p > 0.05) and no self-reported side-effects in these participants throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that 24 weeks of BA supplementation at 6.4 g day-1 did not significantly affect muscle taurine content, clinical markers of renal, hepatic and muscle function, nor did it result in chronic sensory side-effects, in healthy individuals. Since athletes are likely to engage in chronic supplementation, these data provide important evidence to suggest that supplementation with BA at these doses for up to 24 weeks is safe for healthy individuals.

Hookworm infection aggravates metabolic disorder in obesity.

Obesity and ancylostomiasis are considered public health problems. Recent studies have shown that infection by intestinal helminths in obese individuals can ameliorate metabolic disorder and improve glucose tolerance by decreasing both insulin resistance and low-intensity inflammation. However, few helminth species have been studied in this context, and some modulation mechanisms still require deeper investigation. Therefore, the present work aimed to investigate the role of experimental infection with Ancylostoma ceylanicum in the modulation of the immune response in an obese experimental model. Four groups of hamsters were used as follows: two groups were submitted to a hyperlipidic and hypercaloric diet capable of inducing obesity, one infected and the other uninfected; and two normonourished control groups, one infected and one uninfected by A. ceylanicum. Biochemical, haematological, parasitological and immunological parameters were evaluated. The results demonstrated that A. ceylanicum infection accentuated weight loss in obese animals compared to normonourished animals. However, obesity reduced the recovery of worms and oviposition of the females, and both infected groups showed decreased levels of haemoglobin, albumin, iron and erythrocytes. Significant relations were observed for pathogenesis in the following cases: infection interfered in lipid metabolism, which increased levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the obese group, and caused a decrease in HDL levels in both groups. Obesity led to an increase in glucose levels, and the infection exacerbated this parameter in both the normonourished and obese groups. Inflammation was intensified in obese animals that showed elevated macrophage and neutrophil activation in adipose tissue, enlargement of the spleen and accumulation of lipids in the liver and faeces. Despite the decrease in IFN-γ levels, the infection did not potentiated the expression of the Foxp3, IL-10 and IL-2 transcription factor for any of the infected groups, markers that could positively compensate the host from the damage caused by obesity.

Prevalência da síndrome metabólica e de seus componentes em pessoas com diabetes mellitus tipo 2 / Prevalencia del síndrome metabólico y sus componentes en personas con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 / Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar a prevalência da Síndrome Metabólica e seus componentes em pessoas com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2. Método: estudo transversal com 201 pessoas cadastradas e acompanhadas em Unidades de Saúde. Foram investigadas variáveis sociodemográficas, antropométricas, clínicas e às relacionadas à Síndrome Metabólica. A coleta de dados foi realizada nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde, durante a consulta de enfermagem. Resultados: a prevalência da Síndrome Metabólica de 46,3%, significativamente associada ao sexo feminino (p=0,001) e às pessoas com excesso de peso (p=0,001). Quando os componentes da síndrome foram analisados de forma isolada, as taxas de circunferência da cintura, glicemia de jejum, triglicerídeos e pressão arterial, se mostraram elevados em 62,0%, 58,5%, 55,8% e 49,8%, respectivamente. Já a taxa de HDL se mostrou baixa em 47,3%. Conclusão: com 46,3% dos investigados apresentando Síndrome Metabólica, atenção especial deve ser dada às mulheres e pessoas com excesso de peso, pois além de apresentarem percentuais significativamente maiores de Síndrome Metabólica, também apresentaram alterações nos principais componentes.

RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar la prevalencia del Síndrome Metabólico y sus componentes en personas con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2. Método: estudio transversal con 201 personas registradas y acompañadas en Unidades de Salud. Fueron investigadas las variables socio-demográficas, antropométricas, clínicas y las relacionadas con el Síndrome Metabólico. La recolección de datos fue realizada en las Unidades Básicas de Salud durante la consulta de enfermería. Resultados: la prevalencia del Síndrome Metabólico de 46,3% es significativamente asociado con el sexo femenino (p=0,001) y las personas con exceso de peso (p=0,001). Cuando los componentes del síndrome fueron analizados de forma aislada, las tasas de circunferencia de la cintura, glicemia de ayuno, triglicéridos y presión arterial se mostraron elevadas en 62,0%, 58,5%, 55,8% y 49,8%, respectivamente. Sin embargo, la tasa de HDL se mostró baja, con un 47,3%. Conclusión: con el 46,3% de los investigados presentando el Síndrome Metabólico, debe darse una atención especial para las mujeres y personas con exceso de peso porque además de presentar porcentajes significativamente mayores del Síndrome Metabólico, también presentaron alteraciones en los principales componentes.

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome and its components in people with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Method: cross-sectional study with 201 people enrolled and monitored in Health Units. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, clinical variables and those related to the Metabolic Syndrome were investigated. The data collection was carried out at the Basic Health Units, during the nursing consultation. Results: the prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome was 46.3%, significantly associated with the female gender (p=0.001) and overweight people (p=0.001). When the components of the syndrome were analyzed in isolation, the waist circumference, fasting glycemia, triglycerides and blood pressure were 62.0%, 58.5%, 55.8% and 49.8% , respectively. And the HDL rate was low, in 47.3%. Conclusion: having 46.3% of those investigated with the Metabolic Syndrome, special attention should be paid to women and overweight individuals, since in addition to presenting significantly higher percentages of Metabolic Syndrome, they have also presented changes in the main components.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus / Prevalencia del Síndrome Metabólico en personas con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2 / Prevalência da Síndrome Metabólica em pessoas com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and its components in a population of patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Method: a cross-sectional study was conducted with 201 diabetic patients. A descriptive analysis and Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests ( p <0.05) were performed. Results: the majority of participants were females and overweight, with a mean age of 63.1 years and a low level of education, and categorized as physically inactive. Of all individuals investigated, 50.7% were diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome and 92% had at least one of the syndrome components with values beyond those recommended. Conclusion: it is essential to take preventive actions and develop studies that help to identify the factors associated with this syndrome.

RESUMEN Objetivo: identificar la prevalencia del Síndrome Metabólico y de sus componentes en una población de pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2. Metodo: estudio transversal realizado con 201 pacientes diabéticos. Se realizó análisis descriptivo, tests de Chicuadrado y de Fisher (p<0,05). Resultados: gran parte de la muestra era de sexo femenino, con media etaria de 63,1%, bajo nivel de escolarización, clasificados como sedentarios y presentando exceso de peso. Del total de investigados, 50,7% fueron diagnosticados con Síndrome Metabólico, y 92,0% tiene al menos uno de los componentes del síndrome por fuera de los valores recomendados. Conclusion: resulta imperiosa la realización de prácticas preventivas y de aumento de encuestas que faciliten la elucidación de los factores vinculados al síndrome.

RESUMO Objetivo: identificar a prevalência da Síndrome Metabólica e de seus componentes em uma população de pacientes com Diabetes Mellitus tipo 2. Metodo: estudo transversal realizado com 201 pacientes diabéticos. Realizou-se análise descritiva, testes Qui-Quadrado e de Fisher ( p < 0,05). Resultados: grande parte da amostra era do sexo feminino, com média de idade de 63,1 anos, baixo nível de escolaridade, classificados como sedentários e apresentando excesso de peso. Do total de investigados, 50,7% foram diagnosticados com Síndrome Metabólica, e 92,0% tem pelo menos um dos componentes da síndrome fora dos valores recomendados. Conclusão: torna-se imperioso a realização de práticas preventivas e da ampliação de inquéritos que favoreçam a elucidação dos fatores ligados à síndrome.

Estado nutricional, clínico e padrão alimentar de pessoas vivendo com HIV/Aids em assistência ambulatorial no município de São Paulo / Nutritional and clinical status, and dietary patterns of people living with HIV/AIDS in ambulatory care in Sao Paulo, Brazil

INTRODUÇÃO: Atualmente, a abordagem nutricional desempenha papel essencial no tratamento de pessoas que vivem com HIV/aids, particularmente no caso de alterações metabólicas pelo uso da terapia antirretroviral (TARV) que podem estar associadas ao maior risco de doenças cardiovasculares (DCV). OBJETIVO: Caracterizar o estado nutricional, clínico e a qualidade da dieta de pessoas que vivem com HIV/aids. METODOLOGIA: Trata-se de um estudo transversal envolvendo pessoas que vivem com HIV/aids em atendimento na rede de serviços especializados no município de São Paulo. Os usuários desta rede, em uso ou não de TARV, foram recrutados no período de dezembro de 2004 a maio de 2006, durante consultas de rotina. Foram coletados dados sociodemográficos, clínicos, bioquímicos, antropométricos e dietéticos. A qualidade da dieta foi avaliada segundo escores de padrão de consumo predominantemente "não protetor" e "protetor" para DCV. RESULTADOS: A amostra foi constituída por 238 pacientes em TARV e 76 sem TARV. A média dos níveis de colesterol total, triglicérides e glicemia foram maiores no grupo TARV (p < 0,001). A maior parte dos participantes do estudo, com e sem TARV, apresentava-se eutrófica, com média de índice de massa corporal 24,4 (± 4,3) e 24,3 (± 3,5) kg/m², respectivamente. A relação cintura-quadril foi maior entre homens em TARV que entre aqueles sem TARV (0,90 ± 0,06 versus 0,87 ± 0,05) (p < 0,001). O grupo em TARV apresentou média de escores indicativa de maior consumo de alimentos "não protetores" para DCV (p = 0,001). CONCLUSÃO: Foram evidenciadas condições nutricionais e metabólicas indesejáveis entre aqueles em TARV, predisponentes ao risco de DCV. É apontada a necessidade de direcionamento das intervenções em saúde a pessoas que vivem com HIV/aids, para o controle dos fatores associados a essas doenças antes do desfecho final.

INTRODUCTION: Nutrition currently plays a key role in the treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), especially in the case of metabolic alterations due to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which could be related to cardiovascular diseases (CD). OBJECTIVE: to describe the nutritional and clinical status, and the quality of diet of PLHA. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional study involving a network of ambulatory care facilities for PLHA in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Patients, in use of HAART or not, were selected from December 2004 to may 2006, through routine clinic visits. We collected: socio-demographic, clinical, biochemical, anthropometric measures and dietary data. Diet quality was evaluated according to a "protecting" or "non-protecting" pattern of consumption scores for CD. RESULTS: The sample had 238 patients on HAART and 76 without treatment. Mean serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were higher in the HAART group (p < 0.001). The majority of patients of both the treated and untreated group were eutrophic with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 24.4 (± 4.3) kg/m² and 24.3 (± 3.5), respectively. The waist-hip ratio was higher among men on HAART (0.90 ± 0.06 versus 0.87±0.05) (p < 0.001). The HAART group showed a mean food pattern score indicating a higher consumption of "non-protecting" foods for CD (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results showed undesired nutritional and metabolic conditions among patients on HAART associated with CD. It is necessary to manage health intervention programs for PLHA in order to control cardiovascular risk factors before final outcomes.