Distúrbios no perfil lipídico são altamente prevalentes em população nipo-brasileira / Lipid profile disturbances are highly prevalent in Japanese-Brazilians

Alta prevalência de diabetes em população nipo-brasileira de Bauru/SP foi previamente relatada. Visando a complementar a avaliação do risco cardiometabólico, este estudo analisou distúrbios no perfil lipídico de 1.330 nipo-brasileiros (46 por cento homens) > 30 anos. Definiu-se hipercolesterolemia por níveis de colesterol total > 240 mg/dL; hipertrigliceridemia por valores > 150 mg/dL e HDL-colesterol baixo por valores < 40 mg/dL e < 50 mg/dL para homens e mulheres, respectivamente. A prevalência desses distúrbios foi comparada pelo qui-quadrado, estratificando-se por sexos e categorias glicêmicas. As médias dos lipídeos e lipoproteínas foram comparadas entre sexos pelo teste t de Student. A prevalência de hipertrigliceridemia foi de 66,0 por cento (IC95 por cento:63,5 - 68,5 por cento), sendo mais comum em homens e aumentando com a piora da categoria glicêmica; a trigliceridemia média foi 235,7 ± 196,3 mg/dL. A prevalência de hipercolesterolemia foi 24,4 por cento (IC95 por cento:22,1 - 26,7 por cento); HDL-C baixo foi observado em 43,0 por cento (IC95 por cento:39,4 - 46,6 por cento] das mulheres e 17,5 por cento (IC95 por cento:14,5 - 20,5 por cento) dos homens, porém a razão colesterol total/HDL-C foi menor em mulheres (4,23 ± 0,68 vs. 4,40 ± 0,73; p < 0,001). Em nipo-brasileiros, a hipertrigliceridemia é a anormalidade lipídica mais comum, em concordância com a elevada prevalência de diabetes. Os homens apresentaram pior perfil lipídico que as mulheres. Sugere-se que hábitos de vida ocidental possam estar deteriorando a saúde desses indivíduos.

High prevalence of diabetes has been previously reported in Japanese-Brazilians. In an attempt to better estimate the cardiometabolic risk, this study evaluated lipid disorders in 1,330 Japanese-Brazilians (46 percent men) aged >30 years. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as serum cholesterol > 240 mg/dL, hypertriglyceridemia as values > 150 mg/dL and low-HDL-C as values <40 mg/dL and <50 mg/dl for men and women respectively. The prevalence of dyslipidemias was compared by the chi-square test between gender and glycemic category. Mean and Standard Deviation of lipids and lipoproteins were compared by the Student t-Test between gender. Hypertriglyceridemia was detected in 66.0 percent [95 percent CI: 63.5-68.5] of the population, being more common in men and increasing with deterioration of glucose metabolism. Mean level of triglycerides was 235.7±196.3 mg/dL. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia was 24.4 percent [95 percent CI: 22.1- 26.7]. Low HDL-C was observed in 17.5 percent [95 percent CI: 14.5-20.5] of men and 43.0 percent [95 percent CI: 39.4- 46.6] of women but total / HDL-cholesterol ratio was lower in women (4.23 ± 0.68 vs. 4.40 ± 0.73, p<0.001). In Japanese-Brazilians, hypertriglyceridemia is the commonest dyslipidemia, in agreement with the high prevalence of diabetes. Men showed a worse lipid profile than women; it was suggested that the Western diet and living habits could be deteriorating their health.

Effect of glucan immunotherapy on monocyte phagocytic activity and delayed hypersensitivity skin tests in patients with carcinoma

Glucan, a linear beta-1,3 polyglucose moiety derived from the inner cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been demonstrated to be a potent immunomodulator agent with anti-tumor, anti-infectious and haematopoietic stimulating properties in laboratory animals. In this study, patients with carcinoma received bi-weekly infections of glucan SC (18 patients), IV (11 patients and were compared with 11 patients as a control group. There was significant (p<0.05) increase in the number of delayed hypersensitivity positive skin tests with ubiquitous antigens after 4 months in treated patients. Macrophage activity, as evaluated by the capacity to ingest zymosan or zymosan-C3 particles, was depressed at the beginning of treatment and increased significantly (p<0.05) after 3 months of SC or 6 months of IV glucan administration. Theses results encourage further studies on the clinical usefulness of glucan as an adjuvant in human cancer immunotherapy.