Search

Cervids are highly exposed to ticks, however, their role in the life cycle of these rickettsiae has not been fully elucidated. Given the expanding distribution and growing population of deer species in Portugal, coupled with their direct and indirect interactions with humans during hunting, it becomes crucial to explore their role as sentinels and potential reservoirs of Rickettsia. The present investigation aimed to detect and evaluate exposure to Rickettsia in free-living deer from Portugal. Blood samples (n = 77) were collected from hunted game animals (red deer and fallow deer) from different areas throughout Portugal (Idanha-a-Nova, Monte Fidalgo, Montalvão and Arraiolos) and sera were tested by immunofluorescence assay, to detect antibodies. Additionally, blood DNA samples were screened for SFGR by nested-polymerase chain reaction targeting a fragment of the outer membrane protein B (omp B) gene, as well as for Anaplasma and Ehrlichia spp. targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-five per cent (25 deer and two fallow deer) tested positive (sera with a titer ≥1:64) for IgG antibodies against Rickettsia conorii. No rickettsial DNA was detected by PCR for the omp B gene, and all DNA samples tested negative for Anaplasma and Ehrlichia. As far as we know, this study is the first screening of cervid species in Portugal for Rickettsia antibodies. The findings suggest that these animals serve as useful sentinel indicators for the circulation of rickettsiae, offering a complementary perspective to studies focused on ticks. The increasing numbers of hunted deer in Portugal and the potential zoonotic features of Rickettsia spp. highlight the importance of continued surveillance directed at tick-borne diseases, especially those involving wild animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A third version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ III) was developed internationally aiming to respond to new trends in working conditions, theoretical concepts, and international experience. This article aims to present the preliminary validation studies for the Portuguese middle version of COPSOQ III. This is an exploratory cross-sectional study viewing the cross-cultural adaption of COPSOQ III to Portugal, ensuring the contents and face validity and performing field-testing in order to reduce the number of items and to obtain insight into the data structure, through classic test theory and item response theory approaches. The qualitative study encompassed 29 participants and the quantitative one 659 participants from municipalities and healthcare settings. Content analysis suggested that minor re-wording could improve the face validity of items, while a reduced version, with 85 items, shows psychometric stability, achieving good internal consistency in all subscales. The COPSOQ III Portuguese middle version proved to be a valid preliminary version for future validation studies with various populations, able to be used in correlational studies with other dimensions.

Introduction: Patients with localized prostate cancer (PCa) are active participants in the choice of treatment., Objectives: To access the effects of social and demographic factors in the choice of treatment in cases of localized PCa, in a Portuguese population., Methods: Identification of all patients with the diagnosis of localized PCa in the last four years in an oncological centre. Evaluation of the effects of sociodemographic factors (age, profession, literacy, marital status, district and number of inhabitants of the place of residence) in the choice of treatment., Results: 300 patients with localized PCa were evaluated: 17.3% (n = 52) opted for radical prostatectomy (RP); 39,3% had (n = 118) external radiotherapy; brachytherapy in 29.3% (n = 88) and other options (active surveillance, cryotherapy and hormonal therapy) in 14.1% (n = 42). In relation to surgical treatment (RP) the following results were obtained: a) > 70 years: 3.9% (n = 5); ≤ 70 years: 27.5% (n = 47), p < 0.001; b) primary sector: 10.3% (n = 3); secondary sector: 16.2% (n = 27); tertiary sector: 24.1% (n = 21); quaternary sector: 8.3% (n = 1), p = 0.296; c) marital status married: 17.9% (n = 47); single: 0% (n = 0); divorced: 25.0% (n = 5); widow: 0% (n = 0), p = 0.734; d) residency in a city: 14.1% (n = 13); city > 4000 habitants: 22.7% (n = 15); city ≤ 4000 habitants: 16.9% (n = 24), p = 0.701. Using multinomial regression with age (p = 0.001), district (p = 0.035), marital status (p = 0.027) and profession (0.179), this model explained 17.2%-28.4% of therapeutic choices (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The main socioeconomical factor that influence treatment choice was age. Unmarried patients over 70 years choose less radical prostatectomy. Other sociodemographic factors have minor influence in the choice of the treatment.

Introduction: Penile cancer is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all male cancers in industrialized countries. It is most common in areas of high prevalence of HPV, being a third of cases attributed to the carcinogenic effect of HPV. Tumour cells infected with HPV overexpress p16INK4a, as such p16INK4a has been used as a surrogate of HPV infections., Objective: To evaluate the prognostic factor of p16INK4a overexpression in penile cancer., Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with penile cancer, submitted to surgery in a Portuguese Oncological Institution in the last 20 years (n = 35). Histological review of surgical pieces and immunohistochemical identification of p16INK4a. Relation between p16INK4a and the following factors were studied: age, histological subtype, tumour dimensions, grade, TNM stage, perineural invasion, perivascular invasion, disease free survival (DFS) and cancer specific survival (CSS)., Results: p16INK4a was positive in 8 patients (22.9%). Identification of p16INK4a did not correlate with none of the histopathological factors. In this work we identified a better DFS and CSS in patients positive for p16INK4a (DFS at 36 months was 100.0% vs. 66.7%; CSS at 36 months was 100.0% vs. 70.4%), although without statistical significance (p > 0.05). In multivariate analysis of histopathological factors studied, only N staging correlated with DFS and CSS (p = 0.017 and p = 0.014, respectively)., Discussion: the percentage of cases positive for p16INK4a is smaller than the one found in literature, which can suggest a less relevant part of HPV infection in the oncogenesis of penile cancer in the studied population. Identification of p16INK4a did not relate with other clinicopathological factors. Tendency for a more favourable prognosis in patients with p16INK4a agrees with results found in literature. The most relevant factor for prognosis is nodal staging., Conclusions: penile cancer positive for p16INK4a shows a trend for better survival, although the most relevant factor is nodal staging.