Evaluation of bioavailability of trace metals through bioindicators in a urbanized estuarine system in southeast Brazil.

The mussel Perna perna is one of the most used bioindicators of coastal areas and the most economically exploited species in Brazil through mariculture. In the present study, P. perna was used to investigate metal pollution in the estuarine area of Vitória Bay. Four sampling sites were located along an estuarine branch of Vitória Bay and stations were sampled during three campaigns. Trace metals in the tissues of P. perna were evaluated as well as dissolved trace metals and other ancillary variables in the water column. Dissolved Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Fe concentrations surpassed the tolerance limits stablished by legislation in all the sampling campaigns. P. perna exhibited concentrations in disagreement with the Brazilian legislation for Cr and As. A general trend of higher concentrations in outer stations was observed for most metals, what suggested the occurrence of flocculation process in the lower estuary, reducing the concentrations of dissolved elements and increasing their bioavailability for the biota through the particulate form. Cd was highlighted with elevated concentrations in dissolved fraction but not detected in P. perna, probably due to chlor-complex formation under influence of more saline waters. Al, Ba, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr, Pb, and As were considered bioavailable, once they were accumulated in the mussels' tissues. Hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TCR) showed that the consumption of mussels from the study area offers health risk issues, being iron and arsenic the main contributors for the high indexes.

Amerindian women of the Brazilian Amazon and STD.

Papanicolaou tests, PCR for HPV, C. trachomatis, HSV-1/2 and N. gonorrhoea, and Hybrid Capture II were performed for high- and low-risk HPV groups during screening for cervical cancer in 49 women of the Parakana tribe. Cytological diagnoses of HPV were suggested in three samples: PCR showed 12 (22.4%) cases of DNA positive HPV, 16 (1), 18 (2), 58 (3), 39 (1), 61 (1), 33 (1), 35 (1), unknown (2), and HCII analyzed 48 samples: 19 positive (39.58%) for the high-risk group and four (18.33%) for the low-risk group. The prevalence of HPV was 42.85% (p = 0.001) by molecular biology methods. The largest viral load was 1588.11 pg/ml for HPV 39 in a 16-year-old. PCR was positive for C. trachomatis and negative for HSV-1/2 and N. gonorrhoea. Parakana women present a high risk for the development of cervical cancer.

Human papillomaviruses in Amerindian women from Brazilian Amazonia.

We evaluated the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in Amerindian women from a tribe in Brazilian Amazonia. Demographic data, pap smears and cervical samples for HPV DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were obtained for women aged above 10 years old. In total, 79 (85.9%) out of 92 eligible women who lived there were interviewed; all women already had engaged in sexual activity. Seventy-eight and 49 women allowed collection of pap smears and PCR samples, respectively. Cytological signs of HPV infection were observed in 11 patients; 6 of these were probed for HPV infection and 1 shown to be HPV 16. Overall prevalence of HPV infection detected by PCR was 14.3%. Three patients presented high-risk HPV DNA types:two HPV 16 and one co-infection of HPV 16 and 58. Cervical infection by oncogenic HPV types occurs in Amerindian women and cervical cancer screening should be a priority in this setting.

Estudo preliminar para detecçäo de cérvico-vaginites e lesöes precursoras do câncer de colo uterino, em índias da tribo Parakanä / Preliminary study on low-trait genital infection and cervical epithelial dysplasia in indian of the Parakanä tribe

OBJETIVO. Avaliaçao preliminar da freqüência de inflamaçoes genitais e lesoes precursoras do câncer cérvico-uterino em um grupo indígena isolado da Amazônia oriental brasileira. MATERIAL E MÉTODO. Estudo transversal, dirigido às mulheres maiores de dez anos das aldeias Maroxewara e Paranatinga, da tribo Parakana. Foram obtidas informaçoes demográficas, etno-culturais, tocoginecológicas; procedeu-se a um exame físico e ginecológico, com coleta de material para bacterioscopia e colpocitologia oncótica.RESULTADOS. Foram examinadas 80 mulheres (89,9 por cento), das quais 69 foram avaliadas laboratorialmente; 14(20,3 por cento) estavam grávidas. Na aldeia Paranatinga, a bacterioscopia revelou um maior número de mulheres com ausência de flora Döderlein (60,0 por cento vs.29,l por cento). Na colpocitologia, o padrao mais encontrado foi o inflamatório (91,5 por cento); das colpites de etiologia específica (63,1 por cento), em 63,4 por cento suspeitou-se de infecçao por Gardenerella vaginalis, em 7,3 por cento por Trichomonas vaginalis, e em 4,9 por cento por microrganismos semelhantes à Candida sp. Em 23,2 por cento dos esfregaços havia alteraçoes citopatológicas relacionadas à infecçao por papilomavírus humano (PVH). As alteraçoes celulares sugeriram NIC I em um caso, NIC II em outro e carcinoma epidermóide em uma índia de 48 anos; nos três casos, foi proposta a posterior realizaçao de biópsia dirigida e avaliaçao clínica em ambientes hospitalar. Conclusoes. A maioria das mulheres Parakanas apresenta alguma patologia cervical, a maior parte das quais de menor gravidade. Apresentam, ainda, início precoce da vida sexual, multiplicidade de parceiros, curto intervalo interparto e alteraçoes citopatológicas sugestivas de infecçao pelo PVH, condiçoes de risco para transmissao sexual de doenças e desenvolvimento de câncer cérvico-uterino.

[Preliminary study on low-trait genital infection and cervical epithelial dysplasia in women from the Parakanä tribe of South America]. / Estudo preliminar para detecção de cérvico-vaginites e lesões precursoras do câncer de colo uterino, em índias da tribo Parakanã.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the occurrence of low-trait genital infection and cervical epithelial dysplasia in women from a South-american indian tribe in the Brazilian Amazonia. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of women older than 10 years from two indian settlements of the Parakanã tribe: Paranatinga and Maroxewara. Demographic data and information about sexual behavior as well as obstetric/gynaecological history were recorded. Two gynecologists examined 80 patients (89.9%), and collected vaginal and cervical specimens of 69 indians for further laboratory analysis, by Gram stain and Papanicolaou method. Fourteen (20.3%) women resulted to be pregnant. RESULTS: Parakanã women begin sexual activity early, after menarche; they have multiple sexual partners; are multiparous. Some of his partners already had intercourse with women of our society. In Paranatinga, vaginal discharges were a very frequent sign and not age-related, and women presented high frequency of disturbances on lactobacilli flora, greater than among inhabitants of Maroxewara. Pap smears in 91.5% of all patients showed inflammatory pattern. When found an possible etiologic agent (61.3%), in 63.4% it was Gardnerella vaginalis, in 7.3% Trichomonas vaginalis and in 4.9% Candida sp. In 23.2% of smears cythophatic signs related to infection by human papillomavirus were identified. One case had morphological changes compatible with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade I, another with CIN II and, in a 48 year old indian, cervical cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Near all women had some grade of cervical disease. Measure HPV-infection prevalence among Parakanã indians with adequate methods may improve our understanding about worldwide occurrence of HPV infections. Established risk factors for cancer of the cervix and sexually transmitted diseases were common in this tribe.