Validity and reproducibility of retinal arteriole and venule diameter measurements: ELSA-Brasil study. A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Investigation of alterations to retinal microvasculature may contribute towards understanding the role of such changes in the pathophysiology of several chronic non-communicable diseases. The objective here was to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of retinal arteriole and venule diameter measurements made by Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) graders. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at six teaching and research institutions. METHODS: To evaluate validity, each of 25 retinal images from the University of Wisconsin (gold standard) was measured by five ELSA-Brasil graders. To evaluate reproducibility, 105 images across the spectrum of vessel diameters were selected from 12,257 retinal images that had been obtained between 2010 and 2012, and each image was reexamined by the same grader and by an independent grader. All measurements were made using the Interactive Vessel Analysis (IVAN) software. Bland-Altman plots, paired t tests and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean differences between ELSA-Brasil and gold-standard readings were 0.16 µm (95% CI -0.17-0.50; P = 0.31) for central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE), -0.21 µm (95% CI -0.56-0.14; P = 0.22) for central retinal vein equivalent (CRVE) and 0.0005 (95% CI -0.008-0.009; P = 0.55) for arteriole/venule ratio (AVR). Intragrader ICCs were 0.77 (95% CI 0.67-0.86) for CRAE, 0.90 (95% CI 0.780.96) for CRVE and 0.70 (0.55-0.83) for AVR. Intergrader ICCs were 0.75 (95% CI 0.64-0.85) for CRAE, 0.90 (95% CI 0.79-0.96) for CRVE and 0.68 (95% CI 0.55-0.82) for AVR. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal microvascular diameter measurements are valid and present moderate to high intra and intergrader reproducibility in ELSA-Brasil.

Malformaciones Vasculares / Vascular malformation

Las malformaciones vasculares son anomalías presentes siempre desde el nacimiento que, al contrario de los hemangiomas, nunca desaparecen; pueden crecer durante toda la vida por hipertrofia. Según la clasificación de la ISSVA, las malformaciones vasculares se dividen en función del vaso afectado en capilares o venulares, venosas, linfáticas, arterio-venosas y combinadas o complejas. Cada una de ellas, con unas peculiaridades clínicas y hemodinámicas definitorias.

Vascular malformations are anomalies always present at birth that, contrary to hemangiomas, never regress; and may hypertrophy during lifetime. According to the ISSVA classification, vascular malformations are divided, depending on the affected vessel, into capillary or venular, venous, lymphatic, arteriovenous and combined or complex; each with certain defining clinical and haemodynamic peculiarities.

A microcirculação da bolsa da bochecha do hamster sob a influência do diabetes mellitus experimental induzido por estreptozotocina: aspectos morfofuncionais / Microcirculation of hamster cheek pouch under the influence of experimental Diabetes Mellitus induced by streptozotocin: morpho-functional aspects

O Diabetes Mellitus é uma doença metabólica crônica com múltiplos fatores etiológicos (genético, viral e imunológico) que condiciona deficiência absoluta ou relativa de insulina, causando persistência de níveis elevados de glicose no sangue. Atualmente, o Diabetes Mellitus é considerado um importante problema de saúde devido a sua prevalência e alta morbimortalidade. Sua importância clínica resulta essencialmente de suas graves complicações, especialmente as microvasculares. A hiperglicemia crônica ou intermitente tem sido identificada como o fator indutor de lesão endotelial, sendo este, o agente desencadeante das complicações microvasculares. As células endoteliais, por serem influenciadas pela força hemodinâmica local, respondem com a transdução de sinais (mecanotrans dução), as quais podem ser responsáveis pelo início de processos patológicos na parede dos vasos. Desta forma, o objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a microcirculação da bolsa da bochecha do hamster sob a influência do Diabetes Mellitus tipo 1 experimental induzido por estreptozotocina, avaliando seus aspectos morfofuncionais aos 6 e 15 dias de evolução da doença. As características morfológicas de arteríolas e vênulas foram estimadas por medidas do diâmetro do lúmen e da espessura da parede; pela densidade de volume e de área destes vasos na bolsa da bochecha; pela análise imunohistoquímica da expressão de actina, talina, alfa-actina de músculo liso, vimentina, laminina e colágeno IV através da microscopia de luz com a utilização de um sistema semiquantitativo baseado em uma escala de intensidade de imunomarcação; e por microscopia eletrônica de transmissão. Também foi avaliado o relaxamento dependente do endotélio, medido pela variação do diâmetro do lúmen antes e após a aplicação de acetilcolina e a permeabilidade de vênulas pós-capilares à histamina, determinada pelo número de pontos de extravasamento plasmático. Nossos resultados mostraram que arteríolas e vênulas...

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease with multiple etiologic factors (genetic, viral and immunological) that results in absolute or relative insulin deficiency, causing persistent elevated blood glucose levels. Nowadays, Diabetes Mellitus is considered as an important health concern due to its increasing prevalence and high morbimortality. Its clinical importance comes from the complications, especially harm inductor factor, being this the first outcome of microvascular complications. Endothelial cells, under local hemodynamic strength, produce signal transduction (mechanotransduction), which can be responsible for the beginning of patholgical events in vessels wall. In this regard, the objective of this study was to analyze hamster cheek pouch microcirculation under the influence of type 1 diabetes mellitus induced by streptozotocin, evaluationg its morpho-functional aspects at 6 and 15 days of diseases evolution. Morphological characteristics of arterioles and venules were estimated by the measurement of lumen diameter and wall thickness; the volume density and area of these vessels from cheek pouch; immunohistochemistry of the expression of actin, talin, smooth muscle alpha-actin, vimentin, laminin and type IV collagen through light microscopy with the utilization of a semi-quantitative score system based on the intensity of the immunostaining; and transmission electron microscopy. It was also evaluated the endothelium dependent relaxation, measured by the variation of lumen diameter before and after acetylcholine administration and post-capillary venules permeability to histamine, determined by number of points of plasma extravasation. Our results reveal that arterioles and venules do not show differences between the groups concerning wall thickness, luminal diameter, density per area and volume density. Vascular permeability, after 2 minutes of histamine administration, was reduced significantly in diabetic groups...

In vivo lymphocyte activation and apoptosis by lectins of the Diocleinae subtribe

This paper reports the overall effects of three lectins, extracted from Canavalia brasiliensis, Dioclea violacea, and D. grandiflora, on BALB/c mice popliteal draining lymph nodes. These lectins have presented high stimulatory capacity on lymph node T cells. Additionally, they were able to induce apoptosis and inflammation (frequently associated with high endothelial venule necrosis). The data presented here suggest that the Diocleinae lectins studied can stimulate in vivo T cell activation and apoptosis, as well as present important side effects

Doença veno-oclusiva hepática: relato de um caso / Hepatic veno-occlusive disease: report of a case

Objetivo: Alertar os pediatras para uma doença decorrente do uso de ervas consideradas inócuas. Métodos: Descriçä de um caso de hipertensäo porta de início súbito, secundária à Doença Veno-Oclusiva Hepátiaca em um paciente de 2 anos e 5 meses, proveniente de Cruz Alta, RS, após uso crônico de chás de "maria-mole" (Senecio brasiliensis), que contém alcalóides pirrolizidínicos, sabidamente hepatotóxicos. após tratamento adequado, apresentou recuperaçäo clínica e laboratorial completa e hoje encontra-se assintomático. Conclusöes: A prevençäo dessa doença depende da sua divulgaçäo entre médicos e populaçäo em geral, bem como do conhecimento dos efeitos tóxicos de muitos chás.