ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Brazil has been facing the pandemic of COVID-19 since march 2020. More than 540,000 people have died from this disease in the country. Some estimates indicate that the population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 represents 1 to 20%. However, these data are questionable due to the number of asymptomatic and untested individuals. As a result, vaccination for COVID- 19 has become the main means of achieving herd immunity. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate, through local sampling, that broad and rapid vaccination may decrease the rate of COVID-19 detection in individuals potentially exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. METHODS: A total of 1,128 individuals were studied, including students and health professionals from Centro Universitário FMABC, who received the two doses of the vaccine for COVID-19 (Oxford/Astrazeneca ® and CoronaVac®). RESULTS: In the studied period, there was a 41% reduction in the demand for RT-PCR tests after vaccination. And a 78.3% reduction in positive results after vaccination started. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that even vaccinating a population with higher exposure to the risk of contamination significantly reduced test positivity and the demand to perform these tests. This emphasizes that vaccination is the best strategy to achieve herd immunity and reduce the spread of the disease.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19 Vaccines , SARS-CoV-2 , VaccinationABSTRACT
Background: Dysferlinopathies represent a group of limb girdle or distal muscular dystrophies with an autosomal-recessive inheritance pattern resulting from the presence of pathogenic variants in the dysferlin gene (DYSF). Objective: In this work, we describe a population from a small city in Brazil carrying the c.5979dupA pathogenic variant of DYSF responsible for limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2R and distal muscular dystrophy. Methods: Genotyping analyses were performed by qPCR using customized probe complementary to the region with the duplication under analysis in the DYSF. Results: A total of 104 individuals were examined. c.5979dupA was identified in 48 (46.15%) individuals. Twenty-three (22%) were homozygotes, among whom 13 (56.5%) were female. A total of 91.3% (21) of homozygous individuals had a positive family history, and seven (30.4%) reported consanguineous marriages. Twenty-five (24%) individuals were heterozygous (25.8±16 years) for the same variant, among whom 15 (60%) were female. The mean CK level was 697 IU for homozygotes, 140.5 IU for heterozygotes and 176 IU for wild-type homo-zygotes. The weakness distribution pattern showed 17.3% of individuals with a proximal pattern, 13% with a distal pattern and 69.6% with a mixed pattern. Fatigue was present in 15 homozygotes and one heterozygote. Conclusion: The high prevalence of this variant in individuals from this small community can be explained by a possible founder effect associated with historical, geographical and cultural aspects.
ABSTRACT
It is known that increased sympathetic nerve activity in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progressively worsens kidney function and hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that total renal denervation contributes to reduce sympathetic activation to different beds and improves renal function in 5/6 nephrectomy model of CKD in male Wistar rats. After eight weeks of 5/6 nephrectomy surgery there was an increase in mean arterial pressure (CKD 179±22mmHg, n=6 vs. control animals 108±9; p<0.05, n=6) with no changes in heart rate (HR). Sympathetic nerve activity was increased at different levels to the remaining kidney, splanchnic and lumbar beds compared to control (CTL) group (CKD rSNA: 150±50, n=9 vs. CTL 96±15, n=9; CKD sSNA: 129±51, n=5 vs. CTL 34±14, n=6; CKD lSNA: 203±35, n=8 vs. CTL 146±21, spikes/s, n=7, p<0.05). Three weeks after total renal denervation (DNX) MAP was normalized in the CKD rats (124±19mmHg, n=5, p<0.05), with no change in HR. The lSNA was normalized (151±40, n=5, vs. CKD 203±35 spikes/s, n=8) and sSNA was decreased in 49% (64±34, n=5 vs. CKD 129±51 spikes/s, n=5, p<0.05). Renal function, assessed by creatinine plasma levels was improved after renal denervation (CKD 1.50±0.64, n=8; vs. CKD+DNX 0.82±0.22mg/mL, n=8, p<0.05). These findings demonstrate that renal nerves contribute to the maintenance of hypertension in CKD by increasing sympathoexcitation to other beds.