Características clínicas e epidemiológicas das internações pediátricas por COVID-19 na Amazônia brasileira: um estudo observacional / Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of pediatric hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the Brazilian Amazon: an observational study

OBJETIVO: Apontar os aspectos clínicos e epidemiológicos de crianças internadas por COVID-19 em um hospital público situado em um estado da Amazônia Brasileira. MÉTODO: Estudo observacional, descritivo, retrospectivo e documental com uma abordagem quantitativa dos casos de internação pediátrica por COVID-19. RESULTADOS: No Hospital da Criança e Adolescente, foram registrados um total de 5016 casos suspeitos de COVID-19 em crianças. Destes, 666 foram confirmados com a doença e resultaram em 140 internações. Analisamos 136 notificações de crianças internadas por COVID-19. A maioria dos pacientes era lactente (39%) e pré-escolar (36%), com prevalência do sexo masculino (67,6%) e raça/cor preta/parda (86%). Além disso, 83,1% delas residem em área urbana. Quanto ao desfecho, 96,67% evoluíram para a cura e 3,33% resultaram em óbito. CONCLUSÃO: No contexto amazônico, a análise das características clínicas e epidemiológicas deste grupo etário é essencial para orientar os cuidados clínicos, prever a gravidade da doença e determinar o prognóstico.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical and epidemiologic aspects of children hospitalized for COVID-19 in a public hospital located in a state in the Brazilian Amazon. METHODS: Observational, descriptive, retrospective, and documentary study with a quantitative approach to pediatric hospitalization cases due to COVID-19. RESULTS: In the Hospital for Children and Adolescents, a total of 5016 suspected cases of COVID-19 in children were recorded. Of these, 666 were confirmed with the disease, resulting in 140 hospitalizations. We analyzed 136 reports of children hospitalized for COVID-19. Most patients were infants (39%) and preschool children (36%), with a prevalence of males (67.6%) and black/brown race/color (86%). In addition, 83.1% live in urban areas. Regarding the outcome, 96.67% were cured, and 3.33% resulted in death. CONCLUSION: In the Amazonian context, the analysis of this age group's clinical and epidemiologic characteristics is essential to guide clinical care, predict the severity of the disease, and determine the prognosis.

Phytocompounds from Amazonian Plant Species against Acute Kidney Injury: Potential Nephroprotective Effects.

There are several Amazonian plant species with potential pharmacological validation for the treatment of acute kidney injury, a condition in which the kidneys are unable to adequately filter the blood, resulting in the accumulation of toxins and waste in the body. Scientific production on plant compounds capable of preventing or attenuating acute kidney injury-caused by several factors, including ischemia, toxins, and inflammation-has shown promising results in animal models of acute kidney injury and some preliminary studies in humans. Despite the popular use of Amazonian plant species for kidney disorders, further pharmacological studies are needed to identify active compounds and subsequently conduct more complex preclinical trials. This article is a brief review of phytocompounds with potential nephroprotective effects against acute kidney injury (AKI). The classes of Amazonian plant compounds with significant biological activity most evident in the consulted literature were alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, steroids, and terpenoids. An expressive phytochemical and pharmacological relevance of the studied species was identified, although with insufficiently explored potential, mainly in the face of AKI, a clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Safety of a Pharmaceutical Formulation Containing an Extract of Acmella oleracea (L.) in Patients With Premature Ejaculation: A Pilot Study.

Acmella oleracea (L.) R. K. Jansen (Asteraceae) is a plant species widely used in traditional Amazonian medicine to treat sexual dysfunction. The use of this plant has gained popularity because of its sensory properties, such as a tingling sensation. In this study on patients with premature ejaculation, we evaluated the clinical action of a nano-formulation containing an ethanolic extract of A. oleracea inflorescences. Major constituents in the extracts were identified based on gas chromatographic analysis. Participants used a spray preparation based on the A. oleracea extract for 12 weeks, during which they were instructed to apply the product 5 min prior to sexual intercourse. To assess therapeutic efficacy, participants were required to record the mean intravaginal latency time for ejaculation (IELT). During the period of spray treatment, the nano-formulation of A. oleracea increased participant IELT values (M = 293 s) compared with the baseline values (193 s). This nano-formulation reported clinical action in patients with premature ejaculation. It is accordingly considered to have potential application as a therapeutic alternative with benefits for both patients and their partners. Given the small number of participants in this study, further multicenter studies involving a larger number of participants are needed to confirm these observations.

Acute Zika Virus Infection in an Endemic Area Shows Modest Proinflammatory Systemic Immunoactivation and Cytokine-Symptom Associations.

An early immune response to Zika virus (ZIKV) infection may determine its clinical manifestation and outcome, including neurological effects. However, low-grade and transient viremia limits the prompt diagnosis of acute ZIKV infection. We have investigated the plasma cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor profiles of 36 individuals from an endemic area displaying different symptoms such as exanthema, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, fever, hyperemia, swelling, itching, and nausea during early-phase infection. These profiles were then associated with symptoms, revealing important aspects of the immunopathophysiology of ZIKV infection. The levels of some cytokines/chemokines were significantly higher in acute ZIKV-infected individuals compared to healthy donors, including interferon (IFN) gamma-induced protein 10 (IP-10), regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-9, IL-7, IL-5, and IL-1ra, including some with predominantly immunoregulatory activity. Of note, we found that higher levels of IP-10 and IL-5 in ZIKV-infected individuals were strongly associated with exanthema and headache, respectively. Also, higher levels of IL-1ra were associated with subjects with arthralgia, whereas those with fever showed lower levels of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). No correlation was observed between the number of symptoms and ZIKV viral load. Interestingly, only IP-10 showed significantly decreased levels in the recovery phase. In conclusion, our results indicate that acute ZIKV infection in a larger cohort resident to an endemic area displays a modest systemic immune activation profile, involving both proinflammatory and immunoregulatory cytokines and chemokines that could participate of virus control. In addition, we showed that differential cytokine/chemokine levels are related to specific clinical symptoms, suggesting their participation in underlying mechanisms.