Search

Background: A distinct phenotype in Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) was observed in severe patients, consisting of a highly impaired interferon (IFN) type I response, an exacerbated inflammatory response., Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate a possible association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), in five genes related to the immune response, rs3775291 in TLR3 ; rs2292151 in TICAM1 ; rs1758566 in IFNA1 ; rs1800629 in TNF , and rs1800795 in IL6 with the severity of Covid-19., Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, with non-severe and severe/critical patients diagnosed with Covid-19, by two public hospitals in Brazil. In total, 300 patients were genotyped for the SNPs, 150 with the non-severe form of the disease and 150 with severe/critical form., Results: The T/T genotype of TLR3 in recessive model shows 58% of protection against severe/critical Covid-19; as well as the genotypes G/A+A/A of TICAM1 in dominant model with 60% of protection, and in a codominant model G/A with 57% and A/A with 71% of protection against severe/critical Covid-19. Comparing severe and critical cases, the T/C genotype of IFNA1 in the codominant model and TC+C/C in the dominant model showed twice the risk of critical Covid-19., Conclusion: We can conclude that rs3775291, rs2292151 and rs1758566 can influence the COVID-19 severity.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that mainly affects the axial and sacroiliac joints. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes encoding cytokines have been associated with AS, which can interfere with the production of these cytokines and contribute to the development of AS. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the pathology of AS, our objective was to investigate a possible association of the IL10 -1082 A>G SNP (rs1800896) with AS and to evaluate the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-10, IL-17A, and IL-17F in AS patients and controls comparing them with their respective genotypes ( TNF rs1800629, IL10 rs1800896, IL17A rs2275913, and IL17F rs763780). Patients and controls were selected from the Maringá University Hospital and the Maringá Rheumatism Clinic, in Paraná State, Southern Brazil, and they were diagnosed by the ASAS Criteria. In total, 149 patients and 169 controls were genotyped for the IL10 -1082 A>G polymorphism using a polymerase chain reaction with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP); the measurement of TNF-α serum levels was performed through the immunofluorimetric test and IL-10, IL-17A, and IL-17F using an ELISA test. There was a high frequency of the IL10 -1082 G allele in AS patients compared with controls with an odds ratio of 1.83 and 95% confidence interval of 1.32 to 2.54, and a significant difference in the genotype frequencies of the IL10 -1082 A/G+G/G between patients and healthy controls, with an odds ratio of 3.01 and 95% confidence interval of 1.75 to 5.17. In addition, increased serum levels of IL-10 were observed in AS patients: 2.38 (IQR, 0.91) pg/ml compared with controls 1.72 (IQR 0.93) pg/ml (P = 0.01). Our results also showed an association between IL17F rs763780 C/T+T/T genotypes and increased serum levels of IL-17F in patients with AS and also in controls. We can conclude that patients with the A/G and G/G genotypes for -1082 A>G (rs1800896) in the IL10 gene are three times more likely to develop AS, that the serum level of IL-10 was higher in AS patients and that the IL17F rs763780 polymorphism can affect the levels of IL-17F in the serum of patients and controls in the same way., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Braga, Lara-Armi, Neves, Rocha-Loures, Terron-Monich, Bahls-Pinto, de Lima Neto, Zacarias, Sell and Visentainer.)

We investigated the prevalence of dengue in patients with suspected viral meningitis/meningoencephalitis in a dengue-endemic area. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed positive results and a 6.74× greater likelihood of identifying positive fluid in patients who died. Our findings support testing patients with neurologic manifestations for the virus in dengue-endemic areas.

Objective: We tested whether meditation can reduce sympathetic activation, evaluated by norepinephrine blood levels (NE), and improve quality of life in elderly persons with congestive heart failure (CHF)., Design and Setting: This was a prospective, randomized study conducted from April 2000 to October 2001 in an ambulatory care teaching hospital in São Paulo, Brazil., Subjects: We studied 19 patients with CHF, 74.8 +/- 6.7 years old, receiving diuretics, optimal doses of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II inhibitor, maximum tolerated carvedilol dose (23.1 +/- 13.6 mg) and spironolactone 25 mg (10 patients)., Interventions: After 2 months of optimal treatment with carvedilol, patients were randomized into two groups. The meditation group (M) was provided an audiotape, 30 minutes long, to listen to at home, twice a day, for 12 weeks, plus a weekly meeting. The control group (C) just had weekly meetings., Main Outcome Measures: We determined before and after 14 +/- k1 weeks, NE (in pg/mL); quality of life with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLWHFQ); VO2 and VE/VCO2 slope by cardiopulmonary exercise testing; left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVDDi) measured by echocardiography., Results: Meditation reduced NE (mean +/- SEM) from 677.7 +/- 96.6 to 387.1 +/- 39.1 pg/mL (p = 0.008) in M versus 491.4 +/- 35.9 to 470.6 +/- 31.2 (p = 0.34) in C; improved MLWHFQ total score (mean +/- SEM) from 33.2 +/- 6.6 to 21.6 +/- 6.8 points (p = 0.02) in M versus 18.4 +/- 8.0 to 25.1 +/- 8.9 (p = 0.41) in C; and reduced the VE/VCO2 slope (mean +/- SEM) from 31.2 +/- 3.0 to 28.2 +/- 2.6 (p = 0.04) in M versus 28.4 +/- 2.7 to 28.8 +/- 2.6 (p = 0.24) in C. No changes occurred in LVEF, LVDDi, and VO(2)., Conclusions: In elderly patients with optimally treated CHF, meditation reduced NE, improved quality of life, and reduced the VE/VCO(2) slope. Our results support the possible role of meditation as a new hope in the treatment of CHF.

The pituitary-specific transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1 is responsible for pituitary development and expression of somatotrophs and lactotrophs as well as hormonal regulation of the prolactin (PRL) and thyrotropin (TSH) beta genes by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Pit-1 gene mutations result in complete growth hormone (GH) and PRL deficiencies and variable degrees of TSH deficiency, producing the clinical syndrome of combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD). Several cases of mutations in the Pit-1 gene have been reported; the most common one is a sporadic mutation altering an arginine (R) to a tryptophan (W) in codon 271, in one allele of the Pit-1 gene. We describe a case of a 38-year-old woman, born to consanguineous parents, presenting with growth failure and hypothyroidism. Growth failure was noted from early infancy, whereas hypothyroidism was only apparent from adolescence. She had almost undetectable GH and PRL levels and an inappropriate low TSH for very low triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels, while the remaining pituitary evaluation was normal. The pituitary gland was hypoplastic by magnetic resonance imaging. A point mutation in exon 6, monoallelic, causing a C to T substitution that changes amino acid 271 from Arg (R) to Trp (W) was identified. Children with Pit 1 mutations and delayed onset of hypothyroidism may be initially diagnosed as isolated GH deficiency.

Coccidia were isolated from 90 broiler farms in 15 poultry-producing areas in Brazil and Argentina. Sixty isolates were tested for sensitivity to 7 anticoccidial drugs. The common species were: a) Eimeria tenella, 47 isolates; b) E. maxima, 49 isolates; c) E. acervulina, 44 isolates; d) E. mitis, 26 isolates; and e) E. brunetti, 12 isolates. Isolates were considered sensitive to drugs if intestinal lesion scores of medicated broilers were reduced by at least 50% compared with unmedicated infected broilers or if weight gain was at least 75% of that of uninfected birds in a 6-day laboratory test. According to lesion scores, there was evidence of resistance or seriously reduced sensitivity to monensin in 20 isolates, narasin in 29, salinomycin in 11, maduramicin in 1, clopidol in 36, amprolium in 40, and nicarbazin in 1. According to broiler weight gain, there was resistance to monensin in 36 isolates, narasin in 32, salinomycin in 28, maduramicin in 2, clopidol in 28, amprolium in 50, and nicarbazin in 4. These results suggested incomplete cross resistance of coccidia to polyether ionophorous drugs. The degree of resistance might be explained by previous patterns of use of these drugs.