High titers of Chlamydia trachomatis antibodies in Brazilian women with tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate serum chlamydia antibody titers (CATs) in tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy and the associated risk factors. METHODS: The study population consisted of 55 women wih tubal damage and 55 parous women. CAT was measured using the whole-cell inclusion immunofluorescence test and cervical chlamydial DNA detected by PCR. Odds ratios were calculated to assess variables associated with C. trachomatis infection. RESULTS: The prevalence of chlamydial antibodies and antibody titers in women with tubal occlusion or previous ectopic pregnancy was significantly higher (P < .01) than in parous women. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that chlamydia IgG antibodies were associated with tubal damage and with a larger number of lifetime sexual partners. CONCLUSIONS: Chlamydia antibody titers were associated with tubal occlusion, prior ectopic pregnancy, and with sexual behavior, suggesting that a chlamydia infection was the major contributor to the tubal damage in these women.

Prevalence and risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in adolescent females and young women in central Brazil.

In order to determine the prevalence and risk factors for Chlamydia trachomatis infection in adolescent females and young women in central Brazil, 296 subjects attending two public health services were evaluated. The overall prevalence of C. trachomatis infection, as determined using polymerase chain reaction, was 19.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.3-24.7). In multivariate analysis, young age (odds ratio [OR]adjusted 2.32, 95%CI 1.1-4.8, p<0.05) and having 2-3 (ORadjusted 3.41, 95%CI 1.6-6.3, p<0.05) or >or=4 sexual partners in life (ORadjusted 3.10, 95%CI 1.1-6.3, p<0.05) were factors significantly associated with chlamydial infection. In conclusion, the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was high in the studied population and risk factors were related to age and sexual behavior.

Sources of anthropogenic lead in sediments from an artificial lake in Brasília-central Brazil.

Pb concentration and Pb isotopic composition are known to represent powerful tools to investigate the history of Pb pollution in water and sediments. In this paper, we present and discuss the results of a detailed study of sediments deposited in the Paranoá Lake, a 44-year-old artificial reservoir in Brasília, central Brazil. Pb concentration and isotopic composition of the sediments were obtained by ID-TIMS, on three different sample fractions: leachate, residue, and bulk sample. The leachate phase has proven to be most efficient to distinguish between anthropogenic and natural Pb inputs. In the Paranoá lake, important sources of contamination were recognized, producing higher Pb concentrations (max. 37.68 ppm) and significant variations in Pb isotopic composition, relative to the regional geogenic background. Contamination of the sediments due to anthropogenic activity produced less radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions (206Pb/207Pb=1.15-1.17), compared with the regional natural composition (206Pb/207Pb=1.19-1.25). 210Pb analyses along one bore hole which sampled the entire sediment section indicated a sedimentation rate of 8.2+/-1.8 mm/year. The combined use of the 210Pb ages and Pb isotopic compositions of these samples revealed three distinct periods in the lake history: (1) the period of the time formation of the lake in 1959 until ca. 1970 was characterized by the deposition of sediments displaying more radiogenic Pb isotopic signature, (2) the time interval from the start of the process of eutrophication at 1970, until 1995, was characterized by the deposition of sediments having less radiogenic average compositions, and (3) from 1995 until the present represents a period of recovery of water quality, after two sewage treatment stations started to operate.

Seroprevalencia del citomegalovirus en gestantes del Hospital Materno Infantil de Goiânia / Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus in pregnant women of Maternity Hospital of Goiânia (Brazil)

Objetivos: Determinar la seroprevalencia del citomegalovirus en gestantes e identificar a las infectadas agudamente o reactivadas. Material y métodos: Se investigó la seroprevalencia de los anticuerpos IgG e IgM en 323 gestantes del Hospital Materno Infantil de Goiânia, por enzimoinmunoanálisis (ELISA), y de éstas, 77 por la prueba de avidez de la IgG para la fase serológica con IgM ausente, escogidas al azar. Resultados: La media de edad ± DE fue de 24,55 ± 6,80 años, y de 23,09 ± 8,78 semanas de edad gestacional. El 98,76% presentaron IgG y el 0,62% además la IgM. El 31,17% presentó baja avidez y el 68,83%, elevada. Conclusiones: De las gestantes estudiadas, el 98,76% presentó infección crónica y el 0,62%, infección aguda. En las investigadas con la prueba de avidez de la IgG, el 31,17% se encontraba en la fase aguda de infección por citomegalovirus, con lo que son necesarios exámenes más sensibles de detección en esta fase debido a la relación con una mayor afección congénita

Objectives: To determine the seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus in pregnant women and to identify those with acute or reactivated infections. Materials and methods: The seroprevalence of IgG and IgM antibodies in 323 pregnant women in the Maternity Hospital of Goiânia was studied using ELISA. Seventy-seven samples were randomly selected to undergo the IgG avidity test for the serological stage without IgM. Results: The mean ± SD age was 24.55 ± 6.80 years and the mean ± SD gestational age was 23.09 ± 8.78 weeks. IgG antibodies were identified in 98.76% and IgM antibodies in 0.62%. Low avidity was found in 31.17% and high avidity was found in 68.83%.Conclusions: Among the pregnant women studied, 98.76% had chronic infection and 0.62% had acute infection. The results of the IgG avidity test revealed that 31.17% were in the acute stage of cytomegalovirus infection. This finding highlights the need for more sensitive detection methods in the acute phase, due to the greater possibility of congenital infection

Impacto da citologia aspirativa da tiróide com agulha fina: estudo da precisäo diagnóstica / Impact of fine needle aspiration biopsy of the thyroid: diagnostic accuracy study

A identificaçao de nódulos tiroidianos malignos, entre um grande número de bócios inocentes pelos métodos usuais de exploraçao, é cara, pouco sensível e inespecífica. A punçao biópsia aspirativa com agulha fina, reconhecida em outros países, está começando a ser melhor aceita em nosso meio. OBJETIVO. Avaliar a eficiência diagnóstica de 915 punçoes biópsias aspirativas (PBA) com agulha fina, em pacientes com nódulos tiroidianos, em dez anos de atendimento num hospital-escola de 400 leitos. MATERIAL E MÉTODO. 915 exames citológicos e comparaçao de 126 destes aos exames histológicos das mesmas pacientes. RESULTADOS. Sensibilidade de 91,2 por cento, especificidade de 90,5 por cento, precisao de 90,9 por cento, falsos negativos de 5,5 por cento e falsos positivos de 3,3 por cento. A proporçao de neoplasias encontrada nas ressecçoes cirúrgicas destas glândulas foi de 20 por cento quando a PBA nao era ainda disponível e de 48 por cento após introduçao deste exame no serviço. A aceitaçao dos pacientes foi boa e as complicaçoes raras e sem gravidade. CONCLUSAO. Nossos resultados indicam que a PBA da tiróide é eficiente, segura, bem tolerada e facilmente aplicada, mesmo num hospital com pequeno movimento, mas suas limitaçoes devem ser levadas em conta, principalmente ao se analizar o resultado negativo.

[The impact of fine needle aspiration biopsy: diagnostic accuracy study]. / Impacto da citologia aspirativa da tiróide com agulha fina: estudo da precisão diagnóstica.

UNLABELLED: The malign thyroid nodules identification, in the middle of a large number of innocent ones, by usual methods of exploration, is expensive, inespecific and of low accuracy. The fine needle aspiration biopsy, accepted in other places, is beginning to be used in our country. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of 915 fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of patients with thyroid nodules in a period of 10 years at a 400 bed general teaching hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 915 cytologic examinations and comparison of 126 of them with the histologic ones. RESULTS: Sensitivity, 91.2%; specificity, 47%; accuracy, 90.9%; false-positive, 3.6%; false negative, 5.5%. The proportion of neoplasms found in thyroidectomies was 20% when FNAB was not available yet and 48% after the introduction of this procedure. Patient acceptance was quite good, complications were infrequent and with no gravity. CONCLUSIONS: FNAB of the thyroid is efficient, safe, well tolerated and easily applied even in a small hospital, but its limitations must be emphasized, mainly when we analyse the negative results.

Human papillomavirus detection in cervical dysplasias or neoplasias and in condylomata acuminata by in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes.

Specimens from cervical dysplasias or carcinomas and genital condylomata acuminata were retrospectively analysed by in situ hybridization (ISH) with biotinylated DNA probes for human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16 and 18. In the control group no case was positive for HPV DNA. In mild/moderate dysplasias, 4 cases (14%) were positive for HPV 6 or 11 and 2 cases (7%), for HPV 16. In the severe dysplasia/in situ carcinoma group, 9 cases (31%) showed presence of DNA of HPV types 16 or 18. Six invasive carcinomas (20%) were positive for HPV type 16 or 18. Among condylomata acuminata, 22 cases (73%) were positive for HPV types 6 or 11. In all ISH-positive cases only one viral type was detected. No correlation between HPV DNA positivity and histological findings of HPV infection was observed. Although less sensitive than some other molecular biology techniques, in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes proved to be simple and useful for detecting and typing HPV in samples routinely received for histopathological analysis.