The consumption of shark meat in the Amazon region and its implications for human health and the marine ecosystem.

Here, we evaluated the levels of As, Hg, Pb, and Cd in shark meat sold along the Amazon Coast of Brazil and used nitrogen stable isotope values to determine trophic position and to assess element biomagnification. From market samples, a total of 13 species were identified via molecular analysis, including those listed as endangered and vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. Arsenic was present in significantly higher concentrations than all other elements, followed by Hg, with the highest mean concentrations recorded in M. higmani (As: 19.46 ± 8.79 µg/g ww) and C. acronotus (Hg: 1.12 ± 0.68 µg/g ww). Lead and Cd were recorded at much lower levels in all species. The EWI of individual elements were above PTWI for all species when considering Hg, seven species for inorganic arsenic (iAs), and one species for Pb. The weekly consumption of 10 species should be reduced to less than 416.39 g, which is equivalent to the daily estimated fish consumption rate in the region. The mean (±SD) δ15N values of species ranged from 10.7 ± 0.51‰ in M. higmani to 14.2 ± 0.59‰ in C. porosus, indicating feeding over >1 trophic level. Arsenic was negatively correlated with δ15N values, while Hg was positively correlated indicating biodilution and biomagnification, respectively. Our results indicate that the sale and consumption of shark meat will expose consumers to potentially harmful levels of iAs and Hg, as well as contributing to the population decline of species including those that are currently categorized as threatened.

Incidence and Mortality by Cancer in Patients After Lung Transplantation in a Brazilian Institution.

BACKGROUND: The first human lung transplantation was performed by James Hardy in 1963 due to lung cancer. Currently, malignancy has its importance in the follow-up of transplanted patients because cancer risk is higher in this population and the main risk factor for this augmentation is immunosuppression. The most common types of cancer are non-melanoma skin cancer and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative diseases. The objective of this study is to measure the cancer incidence and its related mortality in lung-transplanted patients of a Brazilian institution. METHODS: Review of the records of the 263 patients who underwent lung transplantation between April 2000 and April 2016 at the Heart Institute (InCor), focusing on the incidence of cancer, most common types of malignancies, and cancer mortality rate. We compared incidence and mortality with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) database. RESULTS: During the 16-year period, the total incidence of cancer was 10.3% with 27 cases diagnosed in 21 patients. The most common types of cancer were non-melanoma skin cancer, prostate cancer, and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative diseases. Comparing the incidences after 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year follow-up with the ISHLT database, they were similar in the first two periods and higher in the third period. As to cancer mortality rate, it was similar to the ISHLT database in both periods analyzed. CONCLUSION: The incidence of malignancies was higher in our transplanted patients in comparison with the Brazilian population, and the most frequent types of cancer are in accordance with the literature, except for prostate cancer. Cancer mortality rate was similar to that from the ISHLT database.

Craniofacial morphology of adult unoperated complete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients.

The craniofacial morphology of 26 white unoperated complete unilateral cleft lip and palate patients (13 males, 13 females) was analyzed with cephalometry and compared with a control (normal) group. The results show that in the cleft group, the maxilla is smaller and more protruded, the lower anterior facial height is much larger, and the mandible shows well-defined differences (body, ramus, gonial angle, and mandibular plane angle).

Mandibular morphology and spatial position in patients with clefts: intrinsic or iatrogenic?

Lateral cephalometric films of operated (Op) and non-operated (Nop) patients with cleft lip and alveolus, cleft lip and palate or cleft palate only, were compared to determine whether the shape or position of the mandible is affected by lip and/or palate surgery. The sample included 204 adult cleft patients, Caucasians of both sexes with one of the following three cleft types: complete unilateral lip and alveolus (n = 50), complete unilateral lip and palate (n = 68), and isolated palate (n = 86). The comparison involved 113 cleft patients operated at the conventional timing and 91 cleft patients who had received no surgical or orthodontic treatment. Comparison was done in order to ascertain if the surgery performed had had any influence upon mandibular growth. The results indicated that, in all three cleft types, the surgery did not induce significant changes in the mandibular growth.