Comparison between menopause-related changes in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine and the proximal femur in Japanese female athletes: a long-term longitudinal study using dual-energy X-Ray absorptiometry.

This longitudinal study examined whether bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and the proximal femur is maintained in pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women by regular exercise. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Twenty-six Japanese women (mean age 47.8 years) were followed 4-5 years. Twenty-two subjects from volleyball or jogging clubs had participated in the same exercise for more than 5 years at the initial BMD measurement. Longitudinally, for these 22 athletes, the rate of change per year in BMD of the lumbar spine was -0.17% in the premenopause group and -2.60% in the perimenopause group. In the proximal femur of the athletes, BMD increased (rate of increase per year 1.80%) in the premenopause group, but decreased (rate of decrease per year 1.07%) in the perimenopause group. In the premenopause group, BMD of the proximal femur increased in all athletes. However, in the proximal femur, the nonexercise group showed a 0.31% decrease, a significant difference (P < 0.05) compared with the athletes. These findings suggest that women can achieve continuous gains in bone mass in the proximal femur before menopause by regular intense exercise. However, continued high-level physical activity in the perimenopausal women was not able to prevent bone loss.

Relationship between bone mineral density of the proximal femur and lumbar spine and quadriceps and hamstrings torque in healthy Japanese subjects.

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlations between the muscle torque of the leg extensors (quadriceps femoris) and leg flexors (hamstrings) and the bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femur and lumbar spine. To investigate the decline in BMD of proximal femur and lumbar spine, we examined the relative importance of muscle torque, age, and body weight in the prediction of BMD in 340 healthy volunteers (109 males, and 231 females). Age and body weight were independent predictors of femoral BMD in men. Body weight and quadriceps torque were independent predictors of femoral BMD in premenopausal women. Body weight and years after menopause were independent predictors of BMD in postmenopausal women. The BMD was greatly affected by menopause, whereas the muscle torque was independent of the menopause, and showed the negative relationship to age. These results suggest that muscle-building exercise may have the potentiality to elevate the BMD in the proximal femur in premenopausal women.

Contribuicao para o estudo epidemiologico das leptospiroses em serpentes do Brasil: levantamento sorologico em Bothrops jararaca do Estado de Sao Paulo / Epidemiological study of leptospiroses in Brazilian snakes: serological survey in Bothrops jararaca of Sao Paulo State

Os autores examinaram soros de serpentes peconhentas da especie Bothrops jararaca (Wied, 1824), conhecida como "jararaca", empregando uma bateria de antigenos constituida de 11 sorotipos. Encontraram para Leptospira indice de positividade de 46,47% pela tecnica de soroaglutinacao microscopica. O sorotipo andamana foi identificado em 33 amostras das 71 serpentes examinadas e o sorotipo bataviae em coaglutinacao apenas num dos casos

Toxoplasmose: inquerito sorologico entre trabalhadores do municipio de Guarulhos - Estado de Sao Paulo. / Toxoplasmosis: serological survey among workers of the municipality of Guarulhos - State of Sao Paulo

Os Autores realizaram inquerito sorologico sobre toxoplasmose no Municipio de Guarulhos, Sao Paulo, Brasil, no periodo de julho a outubro de 1979, analisando 111 amostras de soro, 60 de homens de 12 a 61 anos (media 26,8) e 51 mulheres de 14 a 56 anos (media 27,8). O metodo de imunofluorescencia indireta foi usado, considerando-se positivos os titulos iguais ou maiores que 1:16. Os Autores acharam 73 (65,8%) soros positivos,resultado este que nao difere significativamente daqueles obtidos por outros Autores

Prevalencia de toxoplasmose-infeccao em comunidades ilhadas do litoral sul do Estado de Sao Paulo. / Prevalence of toxoplasmosis-infection in isolated communities of the Southern coast of the State of Sao Paulo

Foi pesquisada a incidencia de toxoplasmose-infeccao em 109 individuos habitantes autoctones de comunidade em semi-isolamento geografico e cultural de ilhas do litoral sul do Estado de Sao Paulo, estimadas em 500 pessoas. Foram reagentes 34 soros (31,2%) com titulos iguais ou superiores a 1:16, pela tecnica de imunofluorescencia indireta; 11,7% dos soros examinados apresentaram titulos iguais ou superiores a 1:1.024. Nao houve associacao entre a prevalencia de positividade e a faixa etaria ou sexo dos examinados

[Parasitological survey, with special reference to schistosomiasis mansoni, conducted in the region of Jacupiranga (Ribeira valley, State of São Paulo). Survey of the location and distribution of planorbidian snails in the State of São Paulo. VII]. / Levantamentos parasitológicos, visando em particular a esquistossomose mansônica, realizados no municiípio de Jacupiranga (Vale do Ribeira, Estado de São Paulo) contribuição ao levantamento da carta planorbídica do estado de São Paulo. VII

The results of a parasitological survey, emphasizing particularly schistosomiasis mansoni, are presented. The area under study was the district of Cajati, situated in the "município" of Jacupiranga (State of São Paulo, Brazil) near schistosomiasis-endemic areas in Vale do Ribeira. Though the presence of parasitized people by Schistosoma mansoni has been reported and focuses of Biomphalaria tenagophila, the species responsible for the spreading of the parasites through great areas of the state, has been localized, it has not been reported any autochthonous case nor the presence of schistosoma-infected planorbidian snails. As a contribution to the planorbidical chart of the State, it is reported as original the discovery of the species Drepanotrema cimex and D. depressissimum in that area. The detection of antitoxoplasmic antibodies in a sample of the studied population showed a significant prevalence rate corresponding to 76,4%.

[Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in blood donors of Natal (RN)]. / Prevalência de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii em doadores de sangue de Natal (RN)

The authors present the results of survey to detect anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in 183 sera samples from donors in five blood banks in Natal -- Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, through indirect immunofluorescence test. In this survey 151 reactive cases were found, starting with the titer of 1:16, in a rate of 82,5%. Considering as valid dilutions only titers equal or superior to 1:256, the rate found is of 43.7%. The higher titer found was 1:16.000 (1.3%). In the examined cases, the minimal age was 17 and maximal, 58. The age of most donors (91 cases) ranged from 21 to 30 years. Comparative studies were carried out with similar inquiries performed in other regions.